Genotoxicity of arsenic evaluated by Allium-root micronucleus assay

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 383; no. 1; pp. 232 - 236
• Main Authors: Yi, Huilan, Wu, Lihua, Jiang, Lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 20.09.2007; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Allium; Allium - drug effects; Allium cepa; Arsenic; Arsenicals; Arsenites - toxicity; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Genotoxicity; Medical sciences; Metals and various inorganic compounds; Micronuclei; Micronucleus Tests; Mitotic activity; Mitotic Index; Mutagens - toxicity; Oxides - toxicity; Plant Root Cap - drug effects; Sodium Compounds - toxicity; Toxicology; Allium cepa; Mitotic activity; Arsenic; Micronuclei; Genotoxicity; Monocotyledones; Micronucleus test; Toxicity; Genotoxicity test; Liliaceae; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta; Mitogen; Public health
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.05.015

Arsenic exposure is associated with various diseases and cancers. By using Allium-root micronucleus (MN) assay, possible genotoxicity of sodium arsenite (0.3–100 mg/l) and arsenic trioxide (0.05–50 mg/l) was evaluated in this study. Our results showed that arsenic compounds induced MN formation concentration-dependently. Exposure to 0.5–20 mg/l arsenic trioxide or to 1–100 mg/l sodium arsenite caused MN significantly in meristematic cells and daughter cells of Allium roots. A time-course study revealed that MN increased significantly after a short term (1 h) exposure to 10 mg/l sodium arsenite, demonstrating an effective rapid response. Arsenic compounds also caused mitotic delay and a concentration-dependent decrease in mitotic index. Results of the present study suggest that Allium-root MN assay is a simple, efficient and reproducible method for the genotoxicity monitoring of arsenic water contamination.