Lack of genotoxicity of silver iodide in the SCE assay in vitro, in vivo, and in the Ames/microsome test

Abstract

Silver iodide was evaluated for mutagenicity in the Ames/microsome test (strains TA 1535, TA 102, TA 97, and TA 98) and for the ability to induce Sister Chromatid Exchanges (SCE) in human cultured lymphocytes and in P388 lymphocytic leukemia cells cultured in the mouse peritoneal cavity. From the cytogenetic in vitro studies, it was observed that silver iodide, either in acetone solutions or as a suspension with polyacrilamide, scarcely causes a doubling effect on SCEs at nearly toxic concentrations (1 microg/ml). Such a doubling effect by silver iodide on SCEs in P388 leukemia cells in vivo was not achieved even after using 100 microg/g mouse body weight. In the Ames/microsome test actually a doubling effect on revertants was only isolately achieved with 30 microg/ml in TA 102 (S9-) and at 150 microg/ml in TA 97 (S9+) doses, which appear to be nearly toxic for bacteria.