TOXICOLOGY OF DIETHYLENE GLYCOL BUTYL ETHER .3. GENOTOXICITY EVALUATION IN AN INVITRO GENE MUTATION ASSAY AND AN INVIVO CYTOGENETIC TEST

DGBE was evaluated in a forward gene mutation assay at the HGPRT locus of CHO cells in culture and in an in vivo mouse bone marrow micronucl eus test for cytogenetic damage. DGBE did not elicit a positive respon se in the CHO/HGPRT assay when tested up to a maximum concentration of 5000 mug/ml with and without an external metabolic activation system (S-9). In the micronucleus test employing three post-treatment bone ma rrow sampling times (24, 48, and 72 hr), DGBE was ineffective in incre asing the incidence of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MN-P CE) when tested in both sexes up to a maximum tolerated dose of 3300 m g/kg body weight. Thus, these data and those of others indicate a gene ral lack of genotoxic potential for DGBE in short-term tests.