Acute cytogenetic effect of benzene on rat bone marrow cells in vivo and the effect of inducers or inhibitors of drug-metabolizing enzymes.

Acute cytogenetic effects of benzene in LE rat bone marrow cells in vivo were studied. Chromosome aberrations (CA) induced by benzene consisted mainly of gaps and breaks. Cells with exchanges were rarely observed. The incidence of benzene-induced CA was at its maximum level 12 h after the p.o. or i.p. administration of benzene, dependent on the dose of benzene administered, and higher in male rats than in female rats. However, the sex difference was not observed in the repeated inhalation experiment. Chromosome damage was higher with the p.o. than the i.p. administration. LE rats were more sensitive than Wistar and SD rats to the clastogenic action of benzene. Phenobarbital and Sudan III are well known as inducers of drug-metabolizing enzymes. The peak percentage of benzene-induced CA in the rats pretreated with phenobarbital was observed 6 h after the benzene injection, and it occurred at a higher level than in the rats given only benzene. On the other hand, Sudan III pretreatment suppressed benzene-induced CA at all periods after the benzene injection. SKF-525A (a cytochrome P-450 inhibitor) and cyclohexene oxide (an epoxide hydrase inhibitor) pretreatment also suppressed benzene-induced CA.