INDUCTION OF MICRONUCLEI IN RAT BONE MARROW AFTER CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO LEAD ACETATE TRIHYDRATE

The data concerning the mutagenic, clastogenic and carcinogenic properties of inorganic lead compounds have been conflicting. Here, we evaluated the frequency of micronuclei in bone marrow erythrocytes of male rats treated with lead acetate trihydrate. Outbred male Wistar rats were exposed daily to dose of 100 mg.l -1 of drinking water for 125 days. The effects of lead acetate trihydrate are both cytotoxic and genotoxic because of a decrease in the ratio of polychromatic to normochromatic erythrocytes and an increase in the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes, respectively.