Investigations in bitro and in vivo, of the effects of disulfiram (Antabuse) on human lymphocyte chromosomes.

Pilinskaya showed that the fungicide ziram induced chrocosome aberrations in the lymphocytes of exposed industrial workers and also in lymphocyte cultures treated in vitro. Ziram is chemically similar to the drug Antabuse (disulfirm) which is used in the treatment of alcoholics. To establish whether disulfirm can also cause chromosome aberrations, we have examined the chrocosomes of lymphocytes from treated and untreated alcoholics and normal controls, and also the chromosomes of lymphocytes treated in vitro. Our results show that disulfirm is 800 times less toxic than ziram and suggest that it is at least 10 000 times less active as an inducer of chromosome aberrations. We found no significant increase in aberrations in vitro or in vivo with disulfiram and conclude taht if it is an inducer of aberrations in lymphoctes then they must be induced with a very low frequency indeed.