Screening the mutagenic activities of commonly used antiparasite drugs by the Simultest, a simplified Salmonella/microsome plate incorporation assay.

Abstract

The mutagenic activities of 16 anti-parasite drugs were screened by the Simultest in both qualitative (spot test) and quantitative (plate incorporation) assays with a Salmonella typhimurium pool composed by the indicator strains TA97, TA98, TA100 and TA102. Four anti Chagas' disease drugs (nifurtimox, benznidazole, CL 64,855, and MK 436) and two anti-amebae drugs (metronidazole and tinidazole) gave positive results in qualitative tests and incorporation of rat liver microsomes did not alter the results. Comparative dose response curves of the mutagenic activities of CL 64,855, metronidazole and benznidazole obtained by the simultest and by individual Salmonella indicator strains demonstrated that both approaches have similar sensitivities. The results corroborate the validity of the Simultest, as a simplified, fast and economic version of the Ames test in preliminary screening of potential mutagenic drugs.

• Authors: M E Melo, L C Ferreira
• Journal: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo (Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo) 1990 Jul-Aug Vol. 32 Issue 4 Pg. 269-74 ISSN: 0036-4665 [Print] Brazil
• PMID: 2101520 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anthelmintics
• Mutagens

Topics

• Animals
• Anthelmintics (therapeutic use, toxicity)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Mutagenicity Tests (methods)
• Mutagens
• Rats
• Salmonella typhimurium (drug effects)