MUTAGENIC ACTIVITY OF RHODAMINE DYES AND THEIR IMPURITIES AS DETECTED BY MUTATION-INDUCTION IN SALMONELLA AND DNA DAMAGE IN CHINESE-HAMSTER OVARY CELLS

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 39  (11) , 4412-4417
Abstract
Commercial rhodamine dyes 6G and B induce His+ reversion mutations in S. typhimurium and single-strand breaks in Chinese hamster ovary cells, as detected by alkaline sucrose sedimentation. Aroclor 1254-induced rat liver homogenate (S9) is required for production of genetic activity by these dyes. Rhodamine 6G induces frameshift and base substitution mutations; rhodamine B induces only frameshift mutations. Rhodamine 6G is genetically more active and more toxic than is rhodamine B in the bacterial and mammalian assays. Rhodamine 6G and B induce doublings of His+ revertants in Salmonella at the doses of 0.02 and 0.52 .mu.mol/plate and shifts in the MW of Chinese hamster ovary DNA at concentrations of 9 .times. 10-5 and 9 .times. 10-4 M, respectively. All genetic effects assayed demonstrate dose-related increases. Further testing of the pure dyes in Salmonella revealed that rhodamine B loses most of its mutagenicity with purification, whereas rhodamine 6G does not. Impurities from commercial rhodamine B demonstrate the same extent of mutagenicity as the commercial dye. [These dyes may be potential carcinogens.].

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