THE RODENT DOMINANT LETHAL ASSAY - A PROPOSED FORMAT FOR DATA PRESENTATION THAT ALERTS TO PSEUDO-DOMINANT LETHAL EFFECTS

The rodent dominant lethal (DL) germ cell mutagenicity assay is the pr imary test for possible human germ cell mutagens. As such, it occupies a critical regulatory position. DL assay data are often difficult to assess because of the quantity of data involved, and because several r elated assay parameters require to be considered simultaneously. To re duce this difficulty a schematic method of data presentation is propos ed and illustrated. This method enables the most pertinent assay data and parameters to be viewed and considered simultaneously. Using this format of data presentation, existing DL studies on cyclophosphamide, methylnitrosourea, diethylhexylphthalate, divinyl sulphone, methyl met hanesulphonate, B-mercaptopurine and ethylenethiourea are re-analysed.