Cytogenetic analysis of bone marrow cells of rats treated with toluene

Abstract

The paper presents the results of investigations of the effect of toluene on bone marrow cells of female Wistar rats treated intraperitoneally with toluene for 8 or 11 days, in doses of 0.602 μg/200 g body mass. Cytogenetic analyses were performed on the metaphase figure of chromosomes in order to determine the frequency of structural aberrations – breaks and gaps. The values of the mitotic index and number of poliploid cells were determined. No significant increase was determined in the frequency of breaks and gaps in chromosomes of treated animals in comparison with the controls, which means that, under the experimental conditions, toluene did not exhibit a definite genotoxic effect. However, it has been determined that there was a significant increase in the value of the mitotic index, as well as a significant increase in the number of poliploid cells in both groups of treated rats in comparison with controls.

Keywords

• Toluene
• genotoxicity
• chromosomal aberrations
• breaks and gaps
• poliploid cells