Effects of acute and chronic administration of mitomycin C on the induction of sister chromatid exchanges in vivo

Frequencies of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) were analyzed in bone marrow cells of mice injected with mitomycin C (MMC) both before and during infusion with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Administration of MMC at 1, 6.5, and 13 hours after the onset of BrdU infusion resulted in the induction of approximately 45 SCE/cell, independent of time of administration. When MMC was injected 26 hours prior to BrdU infusion, only baseline levels of SCE were noted. The effects of multiple doses of MMC (chronic administration) were examined in mice treated with 1–5 mg/kg on a weekly or bimonthly basis. SCE analysis was performed one week after the final injection. At all doses and with all treatment regimes, SCE frequencies did not differ from control levels. The results indicate that most or all MMC‐induced DNA damage that results in SCE formation is removed in a single cell cycle after its administration.