Genotoxic effects of phenyl mercuric acetate on somatic and germline cells of male Swiss mice in vivo

Phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA) 2, 5 and 10 mg/kg as the test chemical and cyclophosphamide (CY) (in Endoxan) 40 mg/kg as positive control were tested for their genotoxicity in swiss mice in vivo. They were found highly clastogenic in bone marrow cells at 24 hour post treatment. Significant genotoxic effects of the chemicals were also found in male germ cells at week 4 post treatment with the production of very high percentages of aberrant primary spermatocytes, mostly with univalents as the result of asynapsis/desynapsis, tri-/tetravalents as the result of reciprocal translocations and extra elements, and very high percentages of abnormal sperm at week 8 post treatment. The lowest dose of PMA tested (2 mg/kg) was found more genotoxic in male germline cells than 40 mg/kg CY.