Folate deficiency, parenteral caffeine, and cytogenetic damage in mice.

Chromosomal damage can be detected in bone marrow or peripheral red blood cells in the form of micronuclei. In mice, folate deficiency increased the frequency of micronuclei in erythrocytes. Intraperitoneal caffeine administration, in the setting of folate deficiency, increased the risk of cytogenetic damage in rodents.