Fumagillin, an antibiotic compound produced by Aspergillus fumigatus, is effective against microsporidia and various Amoeba species, but is also toxic when administered systemically to mammals. Furthermore, a recent in vivo study by Stanimirovic Z et al. 2007: (Mutat Res 628:1-10) indicated genotoxic effects of fumagillin. The aim of the present study was to investigate and explain the clastogenic effects of fumagillin (in the form of fumagillin dicyclohexylamine salt) on human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro by sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE), chromosome aberrations (CA), and micronucleus (MN) tests. The mitotic index (MI), proliferation index (PI), and nuclear division index (NDI) were calculated to evaluate the cytotoxic potential of fumagillin. Five concentrations of fumagillin (0.34, 0.68, 1.02, 3.07, and 9.20 microg/ml) were applied to lymphocyte cultures. All the tested concentrations of fumagillin increased the frequency of SCE per cell significantly (P < 0.001 or P < 0.01) compared with the negative control. A significant (P < 0.001) increase in frequency of structural CA was observed at the three highest concentrations in comparison with the negative control. In addition, the three highest test concentrations increased MN formation and decreased MI, PI, and NDI significantly compared with the negative control. The present results indicate that fumagillin is clastogenic and cytotoxic to cultured human lymphocytes.
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