Mutagenicity and clastogenicity of N-chloropiperidine.

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were exposed to varying concentrations of N-chloropiperidine (NCP) for 3 or more hrs and harvested at different recovery periods for cytological analysis. Dose- and time-response curves for the cytostatic effects of NCP demonstrated a drastic reduction in percent cells with mitotic activity as NCP concentration increased. Analysis of control and treated cells for mitotic aberrations revealed that NCP-treated cells were characterized by abnormal nuclear division and distribution. The principal anomalies in nuclear division consisted of multipolar anaphase and ana-/telophase bridge-fragment configurations and laggards. Errors in nuclear distribution were mostly bi- and poly-macronucleation. Results of the cytogenetic studies showed that NCP-treated cells had a significant increase in chromosomal structural anomalies over those occurring in the control population. Exchange configurations, fragments and chromatid breaks were evident. CHO cell population exposed to NCP were also characterized by centromeric exaggeration.