Organogermanium compounds as inhibitors of the activity of direct acting mutagens in Salmonella typhimurium.

The organogermanium compounds bis(D,L-lactato)germanium(IV), bis(L-lactato)germanium(IV), bis (thiolactato)germanium(IV) and bis(thioglycolato)germanium(IV) were tested for their antimutagenic activity in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100. Each compound showed moderate activity against the mutagenic effect of nitroaromatic compounds and weak effects against the mutagenic activity of ethylmethane sulfonate. No inhibition of mutagenicity was observed against the indirect acting promutagens benzo(a)pyrene and 2-aminoanthracene. The compounds differed only quantitatively in their antimutagenicity spectrum. It is concluded from these results that an intracellular mechanism is involved in the inhibition of ethylmethane sulfonate-induced mutagenicity. The effect is probably produced, at least partially, at the level of DNA repair. Frameshift mutations seem to be prevented with higher efficiency than base pair substitutions.