Abstract
The synthetic androgen 17β-trenbolone (β-TBOH), used as a growth promotant in cattle, and its metabolite 17α-trenbolone (α-TBOH) were tested for genetic toxicity in Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cells and in mouse C3H10T1/2 embryo fibroblasts by measuring the induction of micronucleus formation and neoplastic cell transformation. Both β-TBOH and α-TBOH, but not testosterone nor its hormonally active metabolite, 5α-dihydrotestosterone, caused a dose-related induction of micronuclei in SHE cells. In C3H10T1/2 cells, neither β-TBOH nor α-TBOH gave rise to micronucleus induction. Further more, both β-TBOH and α-TBOH, but not testosterone, were found to transform SHE cells but not C3H10T1/2 cells morphologically. The β-TBOH-transformed SHE cells proved to be neoplastic in thymus-aplastic nude mice. These data show that β-TBOH is able to cause changes at the chromosomal level and neoplastic transformation independent of its hormonal activity in one mammalian cell system but not in another one. The implications of these data for the risk evaluation of β-TBOH are discussed.
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Abbreviations
- TBOH:
-
trenbolone, 17-hydroxy-4,9,11-androstat-rien-3-one
- DES:
-
diethylstilbestrol, E-3,4-di(p-hydroxyphenyl) hex-3-ene
- DMSO:
-
dimethylsulfoxide
- PCS:
-
fetal calf serum
- PBS:
-
phosphate-buffered saline pH 7.4 (0.14 MNaCl, 3 mM KCl, 8 mM Na2HPO4, 1 mM KH2PO4)
- SHE:
-
Syrian hamster embryo
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This study has been supported by a grant from the Bundesministerium für Jugend, Familie, Frauen und Gesundheit
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Schiffmann, D., Hieber, L., Schmuck, G. et al. Trenbolone induces micronucleus formation and neoplastic transformation in Syrian hamster embryo fibroblasts but not in mouse C3H10T1/2 cells. Arch Toxicol 62, 49–53 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00316257
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00316257