CYTOGENETIC EFFECTS OF MEBENDAZOLE ON IN-VIVO AND IN-VITRO MAMMALIAN SYSTEMS

Mebendazole (MBZ), (methyl-5 benzoyl benzimidazole-2-carbamate), a pot ent antihelmintic agent, was tested for clastogenicity in Wistar rat b one marrow cells (1300, 1750, 3500 and 7000 mg/kg b.w.) and for both c lastogenicity and antimitotic potential in human peripheral blood lymp hocytes in culture (5, 10 and 20 mu g/ml culture medium). One-hundred metaphases/treatment were analyzed for induction of chromosome aberrat ions and 2000 cells/treatment were counted to determine the mitotic in dex. MBZ did not induce an increase in the frequency of chromosome abe rrations, however it was effective in blocking the cell cycle at metap hase.