EVALUATION OF THE MUTAGENIC POTENTIAL OF THE ACTIVE PRINCIPLE OF THE HERBICIDE AMETRINE IN IN-VIVO AND IN-VITRO SYSTEMS

The active principle of the herbicide Ametrine was tested to determine its clastogenic potential in human lymphocyte cultures and in Wistar rat bone marrow cells. The drug was administered to the rats by gavage at doses of 10.94, 43.75, 87.50 and 175 mg/kg body weight and the ani mals were sacrificed 12 and 24 h after treatment. Lymphocytes were tre ated with doses of 0.00425, 0.0172 and 0.068 mg/ml culture medium. The results showed that Ametrine is not clastogenic, though it seems to b e an inducer of SCEs. In the lymphocyte system, the mitotic and prolif eration indices underwent a dose-dependent reduction. However, the red uction in mitotic index in rat bone marrow cells was not significant.