Genotoxic activity of five haloacetonitriles: Comparative investigations in the single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) assay and the Ames-fluctuation test
V. Muller-pillet et al., Genotoxic activity of five haloacetonitriles: Comparative investigations in the single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) assay and the Ames-fluctuation test, ENV MOL MUT, 36(1), 2000, pp. 52-58
Halogenated acetonitriles (HANs) are known to be water disinfectant by-prod
ucts. Their mutagenicity and carcinogenicity have been shown in different t
est systems in vivo and in vitro. They also have clastogenic properties. In
this study, the ability of HAN to induce single-strand breaks on the DNA o
f Hela S3 cells was investigated using the single-cell gel electrophoresis
(SCGE) assay, which could be a good tool with which to evaluate the genotox
icity of chlorinated water. The results were compared to those obtained in
the Ames fluctuation test using the Salmonella typhimurium TA 100 strain wi
thout activation. With the Ames fluctuation test, a mutagenic effect was ob
served for chloroacetonitrile (MCAN), dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN), and tric
hloroacetonitrile (TCAN). No mutagenic effect was Found with bromoacetonitr
ile (MBAN) or dibromoacetonitrile (DBAN). In the SCGE assay, all five HANs
induced DNA damage in Hela S3 cells, increasing the mean toil moment signif
icantly. For each compound, a dose-effect relation was observed. This study
shows that the SCGE assay has greater sensitivity For assessing the genoto
xicity of HAN than does the Ames-fluctuation test. Brominated acetonitriles
were more genotoxic than chlorinated acetonitriles in the SCGE assay, and
the genotoxicity increased with the number of halogenated atoms of the comp
ound. This behavior had already been Found with other genotoxicity tests. E
nviron. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.