Micronucleus formation in human lymphocytes and in the metabolically competent human hepatoma cell line hep-G2: Results with 15 naturally occurring substances

To examine the concordance of two metabolizing systems for. nse in genotoxo city testing with the micronucleas test, 15 naturally occurring substances (arecoline, the plant extract aristolochic acid, beta -asarone, benzyl acet ate, coumarin, emodine, isatidine dihydrate, monocrotaline psoralen, reserp ine, retrorsine safrole sanguinarine chloride, tannin and thiourea) weve te sted for their genotoxicity ill the cytokinesis-block micronucleus test in vitro with human lymphocytes and in the presence and the absence of an exog enous metabolizing system fi om mt liver. S9-mix and the metabolically comp etent human hepatoma cell line Hep-G2. Arecoline, the plant extract aristol ochic acid psoralen and tannin caused a significant increase in the number of micronuclei in human lymphocytes in the presence and the absence of an e xogenous metabolising system from rat liver. S9-mix and the metabolically c ompetent human hepatoma cell line Hep-G2. A significantly increase in the n umber of micronuclei with beta -asarone one coumarin, monocrotaline and ret rorsine could be detected in the presence of S9-mix find the cell line Hep- G2. Benzyl acetate, emodine, isatidine dihydrate reserpine safrole, sanguin arine chloride and thiourea did nor reveal any micronucleus inducing activi ty in either human lymphocytes or in Hep-G2. In addition to the other Hep-G Z results in the literature this human hepatoma cell line could have a usef ul potential in the in vitro micronucleus test.