Mutagenic effects of ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA) on V79 Chinese hamster cells and its inhibitory effects on cell-cell communication.

Ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA) induced dose- and time-dependent mutation of V79 Chinese hamster cells to 6-thioguanine resistance. It also caused dose-related inhibition of metabolic cooperation. However, no significant induction of chromosome aberrations was detected in cells treated with Fe-NTA up to 100 micrograms Fe/ml of the drug even after treatment for 3 days. Our results indicate that Fe-NTA has mutagenic effects on V79 cells and inhibitory effects on cell--cell communication, and these effects may contribute to NTA-Fe-induced neoplastic transformation of mammalian cells.