The mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay can be used to distinguish aneugens from clastogens

Mutagenesis. 1989 Jan;4(1):6-11. doi: 10.1093/mutage/4.1.6.

Abstract

The occurrence of aneuploidy can be measured in several assays. However, none of them have been sufficiently validated. The bone marrow micronucleus test may be considered as a method for aneuploidy detection. In this work, micronuclei were induced by two aneugens, vincristine sulfate (0.1 mg/kg) and nocodazole (80 mg/kg), and two clastogens ethylmethanesulfonate (EMS) (300 mg/kg) and cyclophosphamide (60 mg/kg). Three criteria have been examined in order to distinguish micronuclei induced by aneugens and clastogens: the area of the micronuclei, the percentage of micronuclei with C-band-positive material and the DNA content of the micronuclei. C-band-positive micronuclei were found in 47% of the micronuclei for vincristine sulfate, 58% for nocodazole, 17% for EMS and 20% for cyclophosphamide. Areas of micronuclei showed a significant difference when induced by aneugens or by clastogens. Finally, the DNA content of micronuclei also showed a totally different distribution pattern when comparing the aneugen vincristine sulfate with the clastogen EMS. The three methods analysed could thus all make a difference between micronuclei induced by aneugens and those induced by clastogens.

MeSH terms

  • Aneuploidy*
  • Animals
  • Benzimidazoles / toxicity*
  • Bone Marrow / drug effects*
  • Bone Marrow / ultrastructure
  • Centromere / analysis
  • Chromosome Banding
  • Cyclophosphamide / toxicity*
  • DNA / analysis
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Ethyl Methanesulfonate / toxicity*
  • Female
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Mutant Strains
  • Micronucleus Tests*
  • Nocodazole
  • Vincristine / toxicity*

Substances

  • Benzimidazoles
  • Vincristine
  • Cyclophosphamide
  • DNA
  • Ethyl Methanesulfonate
  • Nocodazole