COLCEMID AND ECONAZOLE DO NOT SHOW ANEUGENICITY IN MALE-MOUSE GERM-CELLS

Colcemid (COM) and econazole (EZ) were tested for induction of mitotic arrest and C-mitotic effects in mouse bone marrow cells and for meiot ic delay and induction of hyperploidy in mouse spermatocytes after sin gle injection, Doses of 1 and 3 mg/kg COM were used and bone marrow an d spermatocytes were sampled at 2, 6, 10, 14 and 18 h, For EZ a dose o f 120 mg/kg and intervals of 6, 10, 14 and 18 h were chosen. At 2 h af ter: COM treatment of bone marrow cells the mitotic index and C-mitoti c effect were highest, then both decreased from 6 to 18 h, At 18 h the mitotic indices decreased to or significantly below the control level at doses of 1 and 3 mg/kg respectively, whereas the corresponding fre quencies of C-mitotic cells were still significantly higher than in th e controls. EZ also induced mitotic arrest and C-mitotic effects in mo use bone marrow cells. In contrast to COM, the effects of EZ were high est at 18 h after treatment, COM and EZ caused disturbances in progres sion from the first to second meiotic division, however, after COM tre atment the ratios of MMII to MMI were significantly below the control. In contrast, after EZ treatment the ratios were significantly higher than in the controls. Such differences may result from the different m echanisms by which COM and EZ act on cell cycle progression. COM and E Z did not induce non-disjunction under the experimental conditions. Ho wever, EZ induced structural chromosomal aberrations.