Clastogenicity of lanthanides: induction of chromosomal aberration in bone marrow cells of mice in vivo.

Clastogenic properties of two lanthanide elements praseodymium (Pr) and neodymium (Nd) were evaluated by employing mouse in vivo chromosomal aberrations (CAs) assay. Praseodymium oxide (Pr6O11) and neodymium oxide (Nd2O3) administered intraperitoneally to Swiss albino mice in vivo induced significant increase in the frequency of CAs in bone marrow cells, when compared to negative control. The number of CAs/cell and percent aberrant cells increased with an increase in the concentration and period of treatment. The effect was maximum when the cells were analysed 12 h after treatment, as compared to 6 and 24 h. This is the first report on the clastogenicity of these elements in mouse in vivo.