Induction of micronuclei in cultured human lymphocytes with the mixture of highly toxic organochlorine compounds retained in human body.

In this study, we investigated the effect of mixture of the organochlorine compounds, which very resembled their contamination profile of healthy Japanese people in its composition, on the induction of micronuclei in human whole-blood cultures in order to clarify their genotoxicity as a whole. The following results were obtained. Regardless of the presence or absence of 7, 8-benzoflavone (ANF) in the blood culture system, we observed a fairly good dose-response relationship between the concentration of the mixture and the induction of micronuclei. In particular, we found that 50% effective concentration of the mixture of the organochlorine chemicals was considered only about 7 times greater level over the average concentration in the healthy people, namely 70ppt as 2, 3, 7, 8-TCDD, in the absence of ANF and about 5 times more than that in the presence of ANF. Based on these results, the mixture was regarded as extremely genotoxic. Our human bodies, however, have already been contaminated with a variety of chemicals including PCDDs, PCDFs and Co-PCBs and accordingly one of the most important problems to be solved is a further comprehensive genotoxicity and health consequences due to these chemicals to the descendants.