A comparison of enzyme activity mutation frequencies in germ cells of mice(Mus musculus) and golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) after exposure to 2+2 Gy gamma-irradiation
W. Pretsch et al., A comparison of enzyme activity mutation frequencies in germ cells of mice(Mus musculus) and golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) after exposure to 2+2 Gy gamma-irradiation, MUTAGENESIS, 15(1), 2000, pp. 39-43
The radiation-induced germ cell mutation rate has been investigated in two
species of mammals. Mice and golden hamsters of both sexes were exposed to
2+2 Gy gamma-irradiation with a 24 h fractionation interval and mated to un
treated partners. In mice, specific locus mutations were examined as positi
ve controls and the obtained mutation rates (per locus and gamete x 10(-5))
were 51,4, 10,1, 13.6 and 17.4 for irradiated post-spermatogonia, spermato
gonia and 1-7 and >7 days post-treatment oocytes, respectively. Offspring o
f mice and golden hamsters were screened for activity alterations of 10 ery
throcyte enzymes coded by at least 14 loci, The observed mutation rates per
locus per gamete x10(-5) for treated post-spermatogonial stages, spermatog
onia and oocytes 1-7 and >7 days post-treatment were 6,5, 1,5, 8.8 and 7,0,
respectively, for mice and 16,7, 0, 7.6 and 0, respectively, for golden ha
msters, There is a significant difference for mutation rates in mouse oocyt
es 1-7 days post-treatment compared with the control. No differences in the
frequencies of mutations in the various germ cell stages could be observed
between mice and golden hamsters, A critical assumption for the extrapolat
ion of experimental mutagenesis studies to humans is that no species effect
s exist in sensitivity to mutation induction by irradiation. Our results do
not contradict this assumption.