Ferguson L R, van Zijl P, Nesnow S
Mutat Res. 1986 Jun;170(3):133-43. doi: 10.1016/0165-1218(86)90027-3.
Morphological transformation, cell survival, chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei were measured in C3H/101/2CL8 cells after 24 h exposure to amsacrine. A weak but dose-related increase in the percentage of dishes containing transformed foci occurred. As previously reported for alkylating agents, this effect was increased by treating 5 days instead of 1 day after plating. There was no evidence for gene mutation at the Na/K ATPase locus, although amsacrine induced micronuclei in a large percentage of cells and chromosomal aberrations, including interchange events and double minute chromosomes, in dividing cells. In would appear that transformation and chromosomal events may be related in amsacrine-treated C3H/10T1/2CL8 cells. The results strongly suggest that amsacrine has carcinogenic potential, possibly related to its chromosome-breaking properties.
