The assessment of genotoxicity of carbamazepine using cytokinesis-block (CB) micronucleus assay in cultured human blood lymphocytes.

The genotoxic effect of CBZ has been investigated in few studies. There is little evidence linking carbamazepine (CBZ) with any genotoxic effects, particularly in vitro micronucleus test using cytogenesis-block technique. In this study, the genotoxicity of the antiepileptic drug, carbamazepine, was tested using cytokinesis-block (CB) micronucleus assay. In vitro analysis was performed in human blood lymphocytes from four healthy persons at five different concentrations of carbamazepine (6, 8, 10, 12, 14 microg/mL). Genotoxic potential and cytotoxic effects of carbamazepine were evaluated by using micronucleus assay and cytokinesis-block proliferation index (CBPI), called the parameter of cytotoxicity in human peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures, respectively. The results of this study indicate that CBZ caused the genotoxic effect under in vitro conditions, except at the dose of 6 microg/mL, and cytotoxic effects of carbamazepine were revealed by a decrease in the cytokinesis-block proliferation index at all the concentrations.