Tj. Warr et al., A COMPARISON OF 2 INVITRO MAMMALIAN-CELL CYTOGENETIC ASSAYS FOR THE DETECTION OF MITOTIC ANEUPLOIDY USING 10 KNOWN OR SUSPECTED ANEUGENS, MUTATION RESEARCH, 287(1), 1993, pp. 29-46
Two in vitro cytogenetic assays were evaluated for their ability to de
tect aneugenic and polyploidy-inducing agents using a battery of 10 kn
own or suspected aneugens supplied as part of the EEC 4th Environmenta
l Research and Development Programme. The compounds tested were colchi
cine, vinblastine, chloral hydrate, thiabendazole, hydroquinone, thime
rosal, cadmium chloride, econazole nitrate, pyrimethamine and diazepam
. The cell division aberration assay employed a differential chromosom
e/spindle staining procedure to detect pertubations of the mitotic div
ision apparatus. This assay was carried out in two pulmonary-derived C
hinese hamster cell lines; the immortal DON: Wg3h culture and a low pa
ssage LUC2 culture. The second assay involved quantification of metaph
ase chromosomes, for which only the LUC2 cell line was used, due to th
e stability of its dipioid karyotype. All the chemicals induced spindl
e disturbances in the immortal line. In addition, all the compounds ex
cept cadmium chloride yielded positive results in the LUC2 culture, al
though many were not as potent. In the low passage line, 8 of the comp
ounds (colchicine, vinblastine, chloral hydrate, thiabendazole, thimer
osal, econazole nitrate, pyrimethamine and diazepam) induced aneuploid
y and/or tetraploidy. Cadmium chloride was negative in the chromosome
enumeration assay and hydroquinone yielded inconclusive results. The s
tudy of cell division aberrations was much less time-consuming and tec
hnically complex than the counting of metaphase chromosomes. In additi
on, it provided a degree of mechanistic understanding of the mode of a
ction of some aneugenic and polyploidy-producing agents. However, the
enumeration of chromosomes provides a more definitive data set for the
evaluation of a chemical's aneugenic potential.