The in vivo erythrocyte micronucleus test: measurement at steady state increases assay efficiency and permits integration with toxicity studies.

The mouse erythrocyte micronucleus assay has been traditionally carried out using one or two exposures to the test agent, followed by sampling at two or three postexposure times to obtain a sample near the time of the transient peak of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs). We have demonstrated that frequencies of micronucleated RNA-positive (PCEs) and RNA-negative erythrocytes in blood and bone marrow come to steady state during "continuous" exposure via diet or drinking water, or during repeated daily exposures to test agents by ip injection, gavage, or inhalation. Under these exposure conditions, frequencies of micronucleated cells in peripheral blood approached steady state within 2-3 days in RNA-positive erythrocytes and in 5-6 weeks in RNA-negative erythrocytes. With exposure durations of 6 days (monocrotaline or Crotalaria seeds in diet), 10 days (triethylenemelamine, mitomycin C, 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene, or colchicine, ip daily), 90 days (triethylenemelamine or urethan in drinking water or 1,3-butadiene via inhalation), or 2 years (benezene by daily gavage), frequencies of micronucleated cells attained and remained at steady state for prolonged periods. At steady state, frequencies of micronucleated RNA-positive cells in bone marrow samples were similar to those in RNA-positive and RNA-negative cells in peripheral blood (e.g., triethylenemelamine in drinking water at 4 micrograms/ml resulted in frequencies of micronucleated RNA-negative erythrocytes in peripheral blood of 27/1000 after 45 days of exposure and 24/1000 after 90 days, with a frequency of 28/1000 in bone marrow RNA-positive erythrocytes after 90 days). The data suggest that the efficiency of the assay would be markedly improved by using a repeated dose schedule with a single sample taken at steady state, rather than scoring multiple samples at various times after a single dose. This approach allows the frequency of micronucleated cells to be measured in a sample of bone marrow or blood obtained at almost any stage of routine toxicity testing.