Aneuploidy induction by water extract from Tripterygium hypoglaucum (Level) Hutch in mouse bone marrow cells

Hie aneuploidy-inducing activity of a Chinese medicinal herb,Tripterygium hypoglaucum (level) Hutch (THH), was investigatedby means of three cytogenetic end-points, i.e. C-mitotic (CM)effects, micronuclei (MN) and parallel chromosome structuralaberration (CA) analyses in vivo. The CA analysis was expectedto reflect the origins of MN induced by clastogens or aneugens.The experiments were performed on mouse bone marrow cells. Theanimals were treated with the crude water extracts of THH (singlei.p. injection) in the dose range 120–686 mg/kg. Colchicine(COL) was taken as a positive control for its known aneuploidy-inducingeffects. THH showed similar genotoxic effects to COL in CM,MN and CA analyses: positive CM effects were observed accompaniedwith increases of mitotic index and frequencies of CM cellsas well as decreased frequencies of anaphase in all of the THH-treatedgroups. The compound showed a positive MN response in bone marrowpolychromatic erythrocytes but was negative in CA analyses.No sex differences were found in any treated group. The preliminaryresults suggested that THH is an aneuploidy inducer in mousebone marrow cells under the present experimental conditions.