Toxicology Studies on Lewisite and Sulfur Mustard Agents: Mutagenicity of Lewisite in the Salmonella Histidine Reversion Assay.

摘要

Chemical warfare agents present an obvious risk to individuals suffering acute exposure, but they may also present long-term environmental or occupational health hazards for workers in operations involving these chemical agents. To establish a database for setting environmental and occupational standards, we have conducted studies to evaluate the toxicity, mutagenicity, and reproductive effects of Lewisite using in vitro in vivo study systems. The mutagenic potential of lewisite was evaluated in the standard plate incorporation method and by the preincubation modification of the Ames Salmonella/microsomal assay with tester strains TA97, TA98, TA100 and TA102. All strains were tested with activation (20 and 50 microliters/plate) and without activation. Te lewisite was screened initially for toxicity with TA98 over a range of concentrations from 0.01 to 250 micrograms of material per plate. However, concentrations selected for mutagenicity testing were adjusted to a range of 0.001 to 5 micrograms/0.01 micrograms/plate. No mutagenic response was exhibited by any of the strains in either method used. All other tester strains showed evidence of cytotoxicity (reduction in mutagen response or sparse background lawn) at 5.0 micrograms/plate or lower. (AW)