Genotoxic effects of mitomycin-C and microwave radiation on bovine lymphocytes

The aim of this work was to ascertain whether microwave radiation (frequency 9 GHz; specific absorption rate 70 mW/gr, exposure duration 10 min) may produce genotoxic effects, assessed by cytokinesis-block micronucleus (MN) assay, in bovine (Bos taurus L.) peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures. As positive control for the MN induction, mitomycin-C (MMC) was used: it is known that this alkylating agent has a potent genotoxic (radiomimetic) action. To evaluate possible cooperative effects, some cultures from microwave-exposed samples were treated with MMC. The results obtained indicate that the optimal dose of MMC to induce MN frequency increase in this species is 0.044 mu g/ml and that microwave radiation induces a statistically significant increase of MN frequency both with and without MMC.