PHENOTYPIC AND CYTOGENETIC STUDIES IN SELF-POISONED PATIENTS

Persons who attempt suicide by taking high doses of chemicals but surv ive may represent an appropriate human model of mutagenesis epidemiolo gy for the study of somatic and germinal mutagenicity of drugs, pestic ides and other chemicals. The most important results of systematic stu dies in self-poisoning individuals over the last 20 years are summariz ed. Trichlorfon and diazepam caused a higher rate of aneuploidy in per ipheral lymphocytes. The frequency of chromatid aberrations was lower in self-poisoned pregnant women than in self-poisoned non-pregnant wom en and these findings suggest a possible protective effect of pregnanc y. Intrauterine growth retardation was found in children born after se lf-poisoning.