Mutagenic activities of 1,2,7,8-diepoxyoctane in Chinese hamster lung cells.

The mutagenicity of 1,2,7,8-diepoxyoctane (DEO) was investigated using Chinese hamster lung cells. 6-thioguanine resistance and chromosome aberrations were used as markers for mutagenicity testing. DEO was found to be genetically active and to readily from adducts with radiolabeled nucleotides, as demonstrated through thin-layer chromatography in DEO/nucleotide mixtures. Continuous disappearance of cells carrying chromosome aberrations from the cell populations was observed. Based on the expected frequency, cell death can be interpreted as a result of chromosome abberations. The mutagenic specificity of diepoxyoctane is apparently related to the compound's ability to blind with DNA.