Influence of vegetable oil vehicles on bone-marrow proliferation in the mouse micronucleus test

Abstract

The detection of genotoxins in the mouse bone-marrow micronucleus (MN) test is sensitive to factors which may inhibit bone-marrow proliferation. We have shown that three commercially available cooking oils (olive, peanut and sunflower seed oils), commonly used as vehicles in toxicological tests, were able to induce a cytotoxic effect in mouse bone marrow. The effects observed were reversible and the magnitude of the responses varied with the oil administered. The results suggest a need to examine vehicle effects when conducting the MN test.