MUTAGEN EXTRACTION FROM BILE OF PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BILIARY DISEASE - USE OF AMES TEST AFTER BLUE RAYON EXTRACTION

Gallbladder carcinoma is frequent in Chile. The aim of this study was to report the mutagenicity of whole human bile, using the Ames/Salmone lla microsome assay with Salmonella typhimurium TA(98). The bile of 19 patients, aged 23 to 64 years old, subjected to cholecystectomy was e xamined, and mutagen activity was found in 13 (72%). Mutagens were ext racted using blue rayon and three dilutions for the eluted material fr om blue rayon were used (50, 100 and 200 ul). The best result was obta ined using 200 ul. In some cases, the amount of revertive colonies was very high (over 5 times the control value). We propose that the bile from these patients possibly contains mutagenic substances with frame shift mutagenic activity and that these substances may be related to g allbladder carcinoma. Our results have addressed the importance of bil e studies to elucidate the pathogenesis of gallbladder carcinoma.