CHROMOSOME-ABERRATIONS IN CULTURED RAT BONE-MARROW CELLS TREATED WITHINORGANIC FLUORIDES

The genotoxic effects of inorganic fluorides were investigated by trea ting cultured rat bone marrow cells with varying concentrations (0.1-1 00 mu M) Of potassium fluoride (KF) and sodium fluoride (NaF) for diff erent durations (12, 24 and 36 h) and measuring the incidence of cells with aberrations and number of breaks per cell. Both forms of fluorid e were found to be weak mutagens relative to the positive control N-me thyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). A specificity of fluoride ion in inducing chromosome aberrations (CA) was indicated by the observati on that both NaF and KF behaved almost equivalently in this study and at significantly higher variations from the results with potassium chl oride (KCl) and sodium chloride (NaCl).