The genotoxic effects of trichlorfon and phorate insecticides in human peripheral lymphocytes

In this study, the in vitro genotoxic effects of organohosphorus insecticides Trichlorfon and Phorate were investigated using chromosomal aberrations (CAs), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), micronucleus (MN) and comet methods in human peripheral lymphocytes. Effects of Trichlorfon and Phorate on the mitotic index (MI), replication index (RI) and nucleer division index (NDI) were also investigated. 2.34; 4.69; 9.38; 18.75 and 37.50 µg/ml concentrations of Trichlorfon and 0.25; 0.50; 1.00; 1.50 and 2.00 µg/ml concentrations of Phorate were used. Both insecticides significantly increased the frequency of CAs almost all treatment times and concentrations in a dose-dependent manner. Trichlorfon and Phorate increased SCEs/cell in all treatment times (24 h and 48 h) and concentrations. This increase was dose-dependent in Trichlorfon treatment. Both insecticides significantly increased the micronuclei frequency at almost all concentrations. The highest concentrations of Trichlorfon was found to be extremely toxic at 48 h treatment. Trichlorfon and Phorate treatments unsignificantly decreased the RI and NDI. However, Trichlorfon significantly decreased the MI at 9.38 and 18.75 µg/ml concentrations for 24 h and at 18.75 µg/ml for 48 h. Other insecticide Phorate significantly decreased the MI at almost all concentrations. According to the comet assay results, primer DNA damage were significantly increased by all treatments of both insecticides. For Trichlorfon comet tail length and tail intensity were increased by all treatments. Even though Phorate significantly increased the tail intensity at only highest concentration, tail length was significantly effected by all concentrations. The results of experiments showed that the insecticides used in this study have clastogenic, mutagenic, aneugenic and DNA damaging effects in cultured and isolated human lymphocytes.Science Code:203.1.048Key Words:Trichlorfon, Phorate, organophosphorus insecticides, genotoxic effects, chromosomal aberrations (CAs), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), micronuclei (MN), comet assayPage Number:99Adviser:Assoc. Prof. Dr. Deniz YÜZBAŞIOĞLU