Peripheral blood chromosomes, effect

Pohl-Ruling, J., P. Fischer, and E. Pohl, The Effect of Radon and Decay Products on Peripheral Blood Chromosomes, this volume (1987). 

POHL-RULING ET AL. Effect on Peripheral Blood Chromosomes... 

Pohl-Ruling J, Fischer P, Pohl E. 1987. Effect on peripheral blood chromosomes. In Hopke P, ed. Radon and its decay products. Washington, DC American Chemical Society, 487-501. 

One of the most sensitive biological effects of ionizing radiation is to increase the frequency of normally observed chromosome aberrations (but not to induce qualitatively special abnormalities). Peripheral blood lymphocytes are the most feasible cells for chromosome investigations, as blood samples are easy to obtain and the techniques to stimulate the lymphocytes to proliferate within a culture medium and to prepare suitable chromosome slides for microscopic analyzation have their routine protocoil (e. g. Yunis, 1965 Lloyd et al, 1982). 

The in vivo micronucleus test is used for the detection of damage to chromosomes as well as the mitotic apparatus in bone marrow or peripheral blood cells of rodents. The assay system has been well standardized.14-17 The basic features of the test system are (1) the effect of the test chemical is observed in anucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs) (2) PCEs have a relatively short lifespan, so that any micronuclei they contain must have been generated as a result of recently induced chromosome damage (3) micronuclei are readily identifiable and their distribution is well defined and (4) the frequency of induced micronuclei in PCEs is dependent on sampling times. 

In genotoxic assays inorganic arsenicals are either inactive or weak mutagens but are able to produce chromosomal effects including aberrations and sister chromatid exchange in most test systems. Studies of exposed human have detected higher incidences of chromosomal aberrations in peripheral lymphocytes and increases in the frequency of micronuclei in the oral mucosa cells, urothelial cells, and peripheral blood lymphocytes. ... 

Chronic-duration occupational exposure to multiple insecticides, including diazinon, has been associated with increased incidence of chromosomal aberrations and increased sister chromatid exchanges in peripheral blood lymphocytes compared with non-exposed populations (de Ferrari et al. 1991 Kiraly et al. 1979 See et al. 1990). Some of these exposures are presumed to be through the skin. However, it is not possible to attribute the results of these studies to diazinon alone as workers were exposed to up to 80 different insecticides in unknown amounts for variable durations. No studies were located regarding genotoxic effects in animals after dermal exposure to diazinon. Genotoxicity studies are discussed in Section 2.5. 

Deng C, Lee HH, Xian H, et al. 1988. Chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges of peripheral blood lymphocytes in Chinese electroplating workers effect of nickel and chromium. J Trace Elem Exper Med 1 57-62. 

In 2005, a study appeared in Cancer Letters that would have evoked widespread media coverage if it had been about an illegal drug, rather than about a pharmaceutical company product (El-Zein, 2005). Researchers from the University of Texas examined 12 children treated with therapeutic effects of Ritalin to determine whether this central nervous system stimulant produces cytogenetic abnormalities in pediatric patients at therapeutic doses. Using peripheral blood lymphocytes taken from the children, they found a 2.4-fold increase in chromosome aberrations and similar defects. They concluded, These findings warrant further investigations of the possible health effects of methylphenidate in humans, especially in view of the well-documented relationship between elevated frequencies of chromosome aberrations and increased cancer risk. ... 

Tompa A, Major J, Jakab MG. 1994. Monitoring of benzene-exposed workers for genotoxic effects of benzene improved-working-condition-related decrease in the frequencies of chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Mutat Res 304 (2) 159-165. 

Isoniazid is not mutagenic (SEDA-6, 276), but patients taking combined isoniazid and rifampicin therapy for 3-10 months developed an increased rate of chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes (SEDA-9, 276). However, this effect is not known to have clinical consequences. 

Genotoxic effects of trimethoprim on cultured human lymphocytes have been described (172). Chromosome studies performed in cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes did not show significant differences before and after treatment. Cytogenetic studies on bone marrow cells from 12 patients with urinary tract infections treated with co-trimoxazole did not show structural chromosomal aberrations however, there was an increased number of micronuclei in these patients compared with controls (173). 

Even if the bone marrow is a well-perfused tissue, chemically unstable compounds and/or metabolites may not reach it in sufficient quantities to induce detectable effects (Brambilla and Martelli 2004 Morita et al. 1997). In a large collaborative study of I ARC carcinogens (groups 1, 2A, and 2B), the in vivo bone marrow micronucleus test easily detected compounds able to induce tumors in hematopoietic tissues and lung. In contrast, it predicted only 40% of liver carcinogens (Morita et al. 1997). To solve this issue, chromosome damage, especially micronuclei, can be measured in tissues other than bone marrow and peripheral blood erythrocytes (Hayashi et al. 2007). 

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