Potentiation of ethyl methanesulfonate-induced germ cell mutagenesis and depression of glutathione in male reproductive tissues by 1,2-dibromoethane.

EDB significantly depressed GSH in caput and cauda epididymis, but not in testis, 2 hours following injection. This depression was dose-related. EDB enhanced EMS-induced dominant lethal mutations at mating weeks 2 and 3 (of 6). At mating week 2 the fetal death rate was increased two-fold, while at week 3, the fetal death rate had increased to nearly three-fold greater than the EMS-only controls. Enhancement of fetal death rate was confined to postimplantation loss. As with EMS alone, the EDB potentiation of EMS-induced mutations was limited to postmeiotic stages of spermatogenesis. EDB also enhanced alkylation of rat spermatozoa by labeled EMS. Depression of GSH in reproductive tissues is correlated with a potentiation of dominant lethal mutations, as well as an increase in the binding of EMS to sperm heads.