Evaluation of phenobarbital/beta-naphthoflavone as an alternative S9-induction regime to Aroclor 1254 in the rat for use in in vitro genotoxicity assays.

A series of bacterial mutation, mammalian cell (L5178Y) gene mutation and in vitro cytogenetic assays were performed to compare the efficacy of using S9 fractions prepared from rats induced with a combination of phenobarbital (PB) and beta-naphthoflavone (beta NF), with S9 fractions from rats treated with the general enzyme inducer Aroclor 1254. Although some quantitative differences in the magnitudes of the mutagenic/clastogenic effects were observed between the two induction regimes, no qualitative differences were observed. The use of a combined PB/beta NF induction regime using oral dosing is therefore considered to be a suitable substitute for Aroclor 1254.