INCREASING EFFECT OF TRI-N-BUTYLTINS AND TRIPHENYLTINS ON THE FREQUENCY OF CHEMICALLY-INDUCED CHROMOSOME-ABERRATIONS IN CULTURED CHINESE-HAMSTER CELLS

Organotins have been widely used as anti-fouling coatings for fishing nets and ship bottoms, and marine pollution by them has become a serious environmental problem. In this communication, the potentiating effects of three kinds of tri-n-butyltins and three thiphenyltins on chromosome aberrations were studied in Chinese hamster CHO K1 cells. None of the organotins studied showed any clastogenic activity under the experimental conditions without rat liver S9. Post-treatment with organotins, however, increased the number of breakage-type (but not exchange-type) chromatid aberrations induced by five kinds of S-phase-dependent clastogens: MMC, cisPt, 4NQO, MMS, and AMD. Enhancement of the induction of chromosome aberrations by MMC was observed when cells were treated with organotins during the G2 phase. These results suggest that organotin G2 effect causes potentiating effects. Organotins also enhanced the induction of breakage-type chromatid aberrations by clastogenic pollutants in chlorinated tap water, indicating their potential for a more realistic health risk.