Genotoxic effects of Triasulfuron in cultured human lymphocytes

The aim of this study was to investigate the genotoxic effects of Triasulfuron, which is used as a sulfonylurea herbicide, on human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro by using chromosome aberration, sister chromatid exchange and micronucleus tests. Lymphocytes were treated with five different concentrations of Triasulfuron (5, 10, 50, 100, 200 mu g/ml) for 24 and 48 hours. The herbicide did not induce a significant increase in the CA frequency at any of the concentrations, but increased significantly MN formation at the highest concentration (200 mu g/ml) and SCE at all of the concentrations for 24 and 48 hours treatment periods when compared with the negative control. Also this herbicide reduced the mitotic index, cytokinesis-block proliferation index and proliferation index values significantly. The results indicated that Triasulfuron is not clastogenic since it did not induce CA frequency, but it has a probable genotoxic effect and cytotoxic potential due to induction in SCE frequency and reduction in both mitotic and replication indexes in human peripheral lymphocytes in vitro.