Assessment of the genotoxic effects of organophosphorus insecticides phorate and trichlorfon in human lymphocytes

• Published in: Environmental toxicology 2014-05, Vol.29 (5), p.577-587
• Main Authors: Timoroğlu, İlknur, Yüzbaşıoğlu, Deniz, Ünal, Fatma, Yılmaz, Serkan, Aksoy, Hüseyin, Çelik, Mustafa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; chromatids; Chromosome Aberrations - chemically induced; Comet Assay; DNA; DNA Damage; genotoxicity; human lymphocytes; Humans; Insecticides - toxicity; lymphocytes; Lymphocytes - drug effects; Micronucleus Tests; Mitotic Index; mutagenicity; Mutagens - toxicity; pesticides; phorate; Phorate - toxicity; Sister Chromatid Exchange - drug effects; trichlorfon; Trichlorfon - toxicity
• ISSN: 1520-4081; 1522-7278
• DOI: 10.1002/tox.21783

In vitro genotoxic effects of organophosphorus insecticides Phorate (PHR) and Trichlorfon (TCF) were investigated using four genotoxicity endpoints. Different concentration ranges between 0.25–2.00 μg mL⁻¹ of PHR and 2.34–37.50 μg mL⁻¹ of TCF were applied to lymphocytes. PHR and TCF significantly increased the frequency of chromosomal aberrations (except 2.34 μg mL⁻¹ for TCF) and sister chromatid exchanges at all treatment times and concentrations. Most of the used concentrations induced a significant increase in the frequency of micronuclei. Furthermore, PHR and TCF significantly decreased the mitotic index at the higher concentrations after 24‐ and 48‐h treatments. In the comet assay, PHR and TCF significantly increased the comet tail at all concentrations. However, the comet tail intensity was significantly increased at only the highest concentration of PHR and at all concentrations of TCF. According to these results, PHR and TCF possess clastogenic, mutagenic, and DNA damaging effects in human lymphocytes in vitro. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 29: 577–587, 2014.