For more than a decade, mutagenicity tests have had a clearly defined role in the identification of potential human mutagens and an ancillary role in the identification of potential human carcinogens. The efficiency of short-term tests in identifying germ cell mutagens has been examined using a combined data set derived from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/International Agency for Rese...

Overexpression of metallothioneins (MTs) protects some cells against heavy metals, mutagens, anticancer agents, and reactive oxygen species. We have examined the effect of the loss of Ml expression on the cytotoxicity of anticancer agents and mutagens using embryonic fibroblast cells from transgenic mice with targeted disruptions of A/7 / and // genes (MT —/—). MT —/— cells expressed no...

The human cell mutagenicity of Los Angeles airborne fine particulate matter is examined via bioassay-directed chemical analysis. A 1993 composite fine particle sample is separated via liquid chromatography into fractions containing organic compounds of varying polarity. Samples are analyzed by the h1A1v2 human cell mutagenicity assay to identify those fractions that contain human cell mutagens ...

Photolysis of arylazides in aqueous media was recently found to generate presumed nitrenium ions, species which are generally considered as the ultimate mutagens/carcinogens derived from arylamines and nitroarenes. The primary photolysis products of arylazides, the arylnitrenes, can possibly react as electrophiles themselves, or they can be protonated and thus form the electrophilic nitrenium i...

Population monitoring using methods of molecular epidemiology combined with reliable data on exposure is an extremely powerful approach to determine the effect of mutagens on human populations. Although human blood and urine have traditionally been used for biomonitoring, an increase in the use of placental and buccal smear samples should be expected. As biomarkers of exposure, DNA strand break...

Mutagens dispersed in ecosystems are usually in low concentration and episodic in occurrence. The possibility of detecting such dispersed mutagens by utilizing indigenous bioconcentrator organisms coupled with a microbial mutagen assay offer a useful screening protocol. There are numerous examples of plant and animal species which concentrate toxic substances from the environment. Body extracts...