Effect of serum concentration on the cytotoxicity and sister chromatid exchange induction by a chemical carcinogen and by a diesel particulate extract in V79 hamster cells.

The role of serum concentration on the cytotoxicity and on the sister chromatid exchange (SCE)-induction by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and by a diesel particulate extract (DPE), a complex mixture, has been carried out on V79 cells. An increase of the serum concentration in the medium decreases the toxicity of these chemicals, and especially when they are dispersed first in serum. Although no influence of serum concentration on the number of spontaneous SCEs occurring in control cells has been observed, the increase of serum concentration leads to a decrease in SCE's induction in treated cells. Our results show that serum can protect cells from the cytotoxic and mutagenic action of MNNG and diesel extract.