DNA damage in liver, kidney, bone marrow, and spleen of rats and mice treated with commercial and purified aniline as determined by alkaline elution assay and sister chromatid exchange induction.

Aniline of unknown purity has been reported to induce spleen hemangiosarcoma in rats. Aniline has been found to be negative in terms of mutagenicity in both bacteria and yeasts. We have found that both commercial (already rather pure) and repurified aniline are clearly positive to a similar extent in inducing DNA damage in vivo in liver and kidney of rats. Both the commercial and repurified product are also clearly positive in induction of sister chromatid exchanges in vivo in male Swiss mice bone marrow cells. Liver, kidney, and bone marrow DNA damage was absent in male Swiss mice.