Lead Acetate Genotoxicity in Mice

The genotoxic effect of lead acetate in male mice was investigated as measured by sister chromatid exchange (SCE), chromosomal aberration analysis in both somatic (bone-marrow) and germ cells (spermatocytes) and the sperm morphology assay. Intraperitoneal treatment with the lowest tested dose (25 mg kg-1 b.wt.) had no genotoxic effects at all points of treatment and its effect was the same as the control (non-treated). Lead acetate was found to be potent inducer of SCE's at the doses 50 and 100 mg kg-1 b.wt. where the mean frequency of SCE's reached 12.09 ±0.62/cell compared with 12.52±0.52 for mitomycin C (positive control). Lead acetate at the doses 50, 100, 200, 400 mg kg-1 b.wt. (single i.p.) increased the percentage of chromosomal aberrations significantly in mice bone-marrow as well as in mice spermatocytes. The intensity of the effect is a function of lead concentration. Moreover repeated dose treatment show higher percentage of chromosomal aberrations than single dose treatment. Morphological sperm head abnormalities increased significantly after treatment with the doses 50 and 100 mg kg-1 b.wt. with a dose dependent relationship indicating a specific genotoxic effect of lead acetate on testis with the higher dose (100 mg kg-1 b.wt.). In conclusion the results suggest that lead acetate is genotoxic at relatively high doses.