Abstract
The cytogenetic effect of the herbicide alachlor was determined in cultured mouse spleen cells in vitro and in mouse somatic and germ cells in vivo. A dose dependent increase of chromosomal aberrations was observed in cultured mouse spleen cells after treatment with the concentrations 10−7–10−4 M alachlor/ml medium.
Mice were orally treated by gavage with the doses 10, 20 and 30 mg kg−1 b.wt. for 1,3 and 5 consecutive days. The induced chromosome aberrations increased in bone-marrow cells and spermatocytes as the dose and number of treatments with alachlor increased. Oral treatment with the doses 10, 20, 30 and 40 mg kg−1 b.wt. induced a dose-dependent increase in the frequency of SCE's in bone-marrow cells. Only the highest tested dose of the herbicide affected sperm shape abnormalities (p<0.01).
The results of the present study reveal the genotoxicity of alachlor in the different mouse cells analyzed. This has to be taken in consideration when using this herbicide in agriculture.
