Synaptonemal Complex Damage as a Measure of Chemical Mutagen Effects on Mammalian Germ Cells

摘要

As heritable chromosome anomalies are implicated in a variety of human disabilities, their induction in germ cells by environmental chemicals is viewed as a threat to health. Synaptonemal complex (SC) analysis is a novel approach for the detection of germ-line chromosomal damage. This sensitive cytological procedure reveals induced structural damage and pairing abnormalities in SCs of meiotic prophase chromosomes, together with other germ-line toxic effects, in the testes of rodents treated with mitomycin C and cyclophosphamide. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of SC analysis as a rapid and practical in vivo germ-line mutagen assay that lacks many of the shortcomings of existing tests. (Copyright (c) 1987 Elsevier Science publishers B.V. Biomedical Division.)