EFFECTS OF MERCURIC-CHLORIDE ON MITOTIC, MEIOTIC CHROMOSOMES, AND SPERM IN MICE

Mercuric chloride (HgCl2) 0.5, 1.0 and 2 mg/kg body weight (bw.) and c yclophosphamide (CY) 40 mg/kg bw. (positive control) were tested for i nduction of chromosome aberrations in mitotic (bone marrow) cells, and male germ cell damage (evaluated from the reciprocal translocations) in primary spermatocytes, sperm morphology and sperm enzyme (acrosin, succinic dehydrogenase) assays in Swiss albino mice. The results indic ated a weak clastogenic effect of HgCl2 in the somatic cell line. The reciprocal translocations in primary spermatocytes and the sperm assay s, however, indicated that HgCl2 could cause germ cell damage, particu larly at the highest concentration tested.