Cytogenetic Effects on Mouse Fetus of Acute and Chronic Transplacental In Vivo Exposure to Carbon Monoxide: Induction of Micronuclei and Sister Chromatid Exchanges

Carbon monoxide gas is found in the atmosphere whenever society has become industrialized. In addition to the fact that Korea has become industrialized, bituminous coal is used to heat homes here, in heating systems that, if not very carefully maintained, leak this gas, resulting in a number of deaths and near deaths each winter. It has only rarely been reported by investigators that genetic damage may be done transplacentally to a human fetus by a pregnant woman's being poisoned by CO. We explored this by evaluating the damage done to the mouse fetus through an in vivo experiment, using micronucleus and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) tests. Mice were mated and pregnant ones divided into a group that received acute exposures on 3 different days, a group that received chronic exposure, and a control group. In the meantime in the control group the incidence of both micronuclei and SCE was less on the maternal side, in both the acute and chronic exposure groups, whereas the incidences of both micronuclei and SCE were more on the maternal side. However, the incidence on the fetal side was not far behind. Increasing, the dosage of carbon monoxide with gestational age increased the incidence of both micronuclei and SCE in the mother and fetus alike.