The Mutagenic Potential of the Human Intestinal Flagellate, Giardia lamblia P₁ Tested on Experimental Mice

Abstract

The sample of the human intestinal parasitic flagellate, Giardia lamblia P₁ (P₁ Tr₁) and the supernatant fluid (Su Tr₂) and the precipitate suspended in saline (SSP Tr₃) of the centrifuged autoclaved G. lamblia culture were intraperitoneally injected individually to separate sets of mice at the rate of 1ml per 100g body weight against sterile TYI medium (TYI Co₁) and nomal saline (Sa Co₂) injected controls which yielded maximum cytogenetic effects with respect to bone marrow chromosome aberration frequency, micronucleated erythrocytes and sperm head abnormality tests in supernatant fluid treated sample (Su Tr₂) and followed in descending order by the treatment of G. lamblia P₁ sample (P₁ Tr₁) and saline suspended precipitate sample (SSP Tr₃). At 24 hr after treatment the net increase in frequency of effect in three different samples of G. lamblia P₁ treated series over respective controls was 17.75%, 8.50% and 5.75% respectively for bone marrow chromosome aberration; 0.83%, 0.61% and 0.40% respectively for MNT and 3.15%, 2.00% and 1.10% respectively for sperm head abnormality. Further, the frequency of bone marrow chromsome aberration for the treatment of G. lamblia P₁ sample (P₁ Tr₁) was also found higher by 2.5% at 3 hr and 12.5% on 7 days over control. On 7 days after treatment it was also higher by 0.83% for MNT and 2.85% for sperm head abnormality. Thus the mutagenic potential of different samples of G. lamblia P₁ in treated mice was proved by more than one test adding a new evidence to the field of living mutagenesis.