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Use of the bacterial fluctuation test to detect mutagenicity in urine of nurses handling cytostatic drugs
236 quency of aberrations induced by X-rays in G2 or S. In cells irradiated during G2 the most striking effect was found on the frequency of chromatid breaks, whereas in cells irradiated during S the frequencies of both chromatid and isochromatid breaks were strongly enhanced. Furthermore, when X-irradiation during Go or G1 was immediately followed by a HU post-treatment the frequency of dicentrics and rings was more or less markedly enhanced suggesting that in human lymphocytes a HU-sensitive repair mechanism is operating not only in G2 prophase, but also in Go and GI.
Kihlman, B.A., and B. Hartley (1967) Exp. Cell Res. 48, 629--634. Hansson, K., and B. Hartley-AsP (1981) Hereditas, in press.
Bauchinger, M., and K. Gasiorek, GSF, Neuherberg-Munich (F.R.G.) Chromosome analysis on human lymphocytes after combined treatment with lead, cadmium and zinc
In an earlier study [ 1 ] on workers of a zinc smelting plant, who had increased blood levels of cadmium and lead we had observed a small but significant increase of chromatid breaks, exchanges and fragments in 48 h cultured peripheral lymphocytes. It was suggested that synergistic effects to several metal compounds could have influenced this result. We have tried to test this possibility by the present in vitro experiments. For this reason human lymphocytes in whole blood were treated for 3 h with solutions of lead-, cadmium- and zincacetate, separately, and in combinations of 2 or 3 metals with different concentrations of between 10 -3 and 10 -8 moles, resp. Untreated and sodium acetate treated cultures served as controls. Chromosome analysis revealed higher incidences of chromosome changes only for cultures exclusively treated with cadmium. Bauchinger, M., E. Schmid, H.J. Einbrodt and J. Dresp, C h r o m o s o m e aberrations in l y m p h o c y t e s after o c c u p a t i o n a l e x p o s u r e to lead and c a d m i u m , Mutation Res., 40 (1976) 57--62.
Falck, K., M. Sorsa and H. Vainio, Institute of Occupational Health, Haartmaninkatu 1, SF-00290 Helsinki 29 (Finland) Use o f the bacterial fluctuation test to detect mutagenicity in urine o f nurses handling cytostatic drugs
Several antitumor agents are k~aown mutagens and some of them are also suspected carcinogens. The hospital nurses at the oncological units are daily handling these substances. The safety precautions vary greatly between different hospitals. We have used the bacterial fluctuation test with strains Salmonella typhimu-
237 rium TA98 and Escherichia coli WP2 uvrA to detect mutagenicity in the concentrated urine samples of personnel in four oncology departments having different standards of occupational hygiene. Most of the nurses studied were non-smokers, but smoking and other possible sources of mutagenic exposure were recorded. The results point to the need of preventive safety actions in handling with cytostatics. The group of nurses having no special safety measures exhibited mutagenicity in their urine. The mutagenic activity was reduced when the department started to use laminar-flow chambers and required rubber gloves and breathing mask to be used in preparation of the drugs. The mutagenicity in the urine of nurses working at a department already provided with fume hoods and strict regulations did not differ from that of the medical staff not in contact with cytostatic drugs. Even though several as yet unidentified "life-style" factors may contribute to the total mutagenicity in urine, the results indicate that it is possible to monitor genotoxic exposure from working environment with sensitive bacterial mutagenicity assays.
Galperin-Lemaitre, H., J. Van Kerkem and S. Levi, Medical Genetics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Free University of Brussels (Belgium) Effect of ultrasound at medical level on sister-chromatid exchange in human lymphocytes Metaphase plates were prepared from cord blood cells of newborns whose mother was submitted at least during 6 h to monitoring sonication. Cultures were performed in presence of BUDR during 2 cell cycles. The sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) are compared with those of control cord blood, i.e. from mothers which were not sonicated. No significant difference was found. On the other hand lymphocytes from adults, cultivated in presence of BUDR for 48 h and submitted to therapeutic doses of ultrasound (2 W/cm 2, 4 min) at 1st or 2nd interphase, showed an increase of SCE frequency when compared with the same blood of controls.
Hartley-Asp, B. a, F. Mitelman b and B. Ursing c, a Pharmacology Department, AB Leo, Helsingborg, Departments of b Clinical Genetics and c Infectious Diseases, Lund University Hospital, Lund (Sweden) The absence o f clastogenic effect during long-term and short-term treatment with metronidazole Patients with Crohn's disease participating in a double-blind cross-over clinical trial of metronidazole and sulphasalazine were subjected to chromosome analysis. The study consisted of 22 patients randomized at start into either the metronidazole group 0.8 g/day or the sulphasalazine group 3 g/day. Each patient switched treatment after 4 months. Thus, all patients received a 4-
Kihlman, B.A., and B. Hartley (1967) Exp. Cell Res. 48, 629--634. Hansson, K., and B. Hartley-AsP (1981) Hereditas, in press.
Bauchinger, M., and K. Gasiorek, GSF, Neuherberg-Munich (F.R.G.) Chromosome analysis on human lymphocytes after combined treatment with lead, cadmium and zinc
In an earlier study [ 1 ] on workers of a zinc smelting plant, who had increased blood levels of cadmium and lead we had observed a small but significant increase of chromatid breaks, exchanges and fragments in 48 h cultured peripheral lymphocytes. It was suggested that synergistic effects to several metal compounds could have influenced this result. We have tried to test this possibility by the present in vitro experiments. For this reason human lymphocytes in whole blood were treated for 3 h with solutions of lead-, cadmium- and zincacetate, separately, and in combinations of 2 or 3 metals with different concentrations of between 10 -3 and 10 -8 moles, resp. Untreated and sodium acetate treated cultures served as controls. Chromosome analysis revealed higher incidences of chromosome changes only for cultures exclusively treated with cadmium. Bauchinger, M., E. Schmid, H.J. Einbrodt and J. Dresp, C h r o m o s o m e aberrations in l y m p h o c y t e s after o c c u p a t i o n a l e x p o s u r e to lead and c a d m i u m , Mutation Res., 40 (1976) 57--62.
Falck, K., M. Sorsa and H. Vainio, Institute of Occupational Health, Haartmaninkatu 1, SF-00290 Helsinki 29 (Finland) Use o f the bacterial fluctuation test to detect mutagenicity in urine o f nurses handling cytostatic drugs
Several antitumor agents are k~aown mutagens and some of them are also suspected carcinogens. The hospital nurses at the oncological units are daily handling these substances. The safety precautions vary greatly between different hospitals. We have used the bacterial fluctuation test with strains Salmonella typhimu-
237 rium TA98 and Escherichia coli WP2 uvrA to detect mutagenicity in the concentrated urine samples of personnel in four oncology departments having different standards of occupational hygiene. Most of the nurses studied were non-smokers, but smoking and other possible sources of mutagenic exposure were recorded. The results point to the need of preventive safety actions in handling with cytostatics. The group of nurses having no special safety measures exhibited mutagenicity in their urine. The mutagenic activity was reduced when the department started to use laminar-flow chambers and required rubber gloves and breathing mask to be used in preparation of the drugs. The mutagenicity in the urine of nurses working at a department already provided with fume hoods and strict regulations did not differ from that of the medical staff not in contact with cytostatic drugs. Even though several as yet unidentified "life-style" factors may contribute to the total mutagenicity in urine, the results indicate that it is possible to monitor genotoxic exposure from working environment with sensitive bacterial mutagenicity assays.
Galperin-Lemaitre, H., J. Van Kerkem and S. Levi, Medical Genetics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Free University of Brussels (Belgium) Effect of ultrasound at medical level on sister-chromatid exchange in human lymphocytes Metaphase plates were prepared from cord blood cells of newborns whose mother was submitted at least during 6 h to monitoring sonication. Cultures were performed in presence of BUDR during 2 cell cycles. The sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) are compared with those of control cord blood, i.e. from mothers which were not sonicated. No significant difference was found. On the other hand lymphocytes from adults, cultivated in presence of BUDR for 48 h and submitted to therapeutic doses of ultrasound (2 W/cm 2, 4 min) at 1st or 2nd interphase, showed an increase of SCE frequency when compared with the same blood of controls.
Hartley-Asp, B. a, F. Mitelman b and B. Ursing c, a Pharmacology Department, AB Leo, Helsingborg, Departments of b Clinical Genetics and c Infectious Diseases, Lund University Hospital, Lund (Sweden) The absence o f clastogenic effect during long-term and short-term treatment with metronidazole Patients with Crohn's disease participating in a double-blind cross-over clinical trial of metronidazole and sulphasalazine were subjected to chromosome analysis. The study consisted of 22 patients randomized at start into either the metronidazole group 0.8 g/day or the sulphasalazine group 3 g/day. Each patient switched treatment after 4 months. Thus, all patients received a 4-