EFFECTS OF GERMANIUM OXIDE AND OTHER CHEMICAL-COMPOUNDS ON PHENYLMERCURY ACETATE-INDUCED GENOTOXICITY IN CULTURED HUMAN-LYMPHOCYTES

Phenylmercury acetate (PMA), which not only causes an elevation of sis ter chromatid exchanges (SCEs) but also induces high frequency of endo reduplication in human lymphocytes, may be genotoxic to humans. The ma jor aim of our study was to investigate the effects of germanium oxide (GeO2), D-penicillamine (D-PA), dimercaprol (BAL), and diltiazem (DTM ) on PMA-induced genotoxicity as quantified by SCEs. All concentration s of the four chemical compounds tested alone did not induce genotox i city in cultured human lymphocytes. However, GeO2 significantly inhibi ted PMA-induced genotoxicity in a concentration-dependent manner. Simi larly, D-PA at concentrations of 3 mu M and 10 mu M. (C) 1998 Wiley-Li ss, Inc.