Cytogenetic evaluation of butylated hydroxytoluene

C.A. GRILLO; F.N. DULOUT

MUTATION RESEARCH-GENETIC TOXICOLOGY

ELSEVIER

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 1995 vol. 345 p. 73 - 78

0165-1218

The genotoxicity of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) was evaluated using different cytogenetic short-term tests. Chromosome aberrations and anaphase-telophase alterations were analyzed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The induction of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) was evaluated in CHO cells as well as in human peripheral blood lymphocytes treated during all the culture time or for the last 24 h of incubation. The cell cycle progression was determined in cultures with BrdU added. Doses of 0.10, 0.25 and 0.50 μg/ml of the compound diluted in DMSO were employed. Untreated and DMSO-treated cultures were used as controls. Results obtained showed that BHT induced a significant increase of chromatid and chromosome breaks with the three doses employed, but did not increase the SCE frequencies either in CHO cells or in human lymphocytes under the experimental conditions employed. In anaphase-telophase, the compound induced a significant increase of multipolar mitoses. On the other hand, cytotoxicity of BHT was evidenced by the lack of cells in second mitosis with the highest dose and the decrease of the mitotic index in CHO cells as well as by the delay of the cell cycle progression both in CHO cells and human lymphocytes. Despite this, chromosomal damage was only induced by doses raising the cytotoxic level. The results obtained can be considered as evidence of BHT genotoxicity.