TY - JOUR A1 - Stopper, Helga A1 - Körber, C. A1 - Schiffmann, D. A1 - Caspary, W. J. T1 - Cell-cycle dependent micronucleus formation and mitotic disturbances induced by 5-azacytidine in mammalian cells N2 - 5-Azacytidine was originally developed to treat human myelogenous leukemia. However, interest in this compound has expanded because of reports of its ability to affect cell differentiation and to alter eukaryotic gene expression. In an ongoing attempt to understand the biochemical effects of this compound, we examined the effects of 5-azacytidine on mitosis and on micronucleus formation in mammalian cells. In L5178Y mouse cells, 5-azacytidine induced micronuclei at concentrations at which we and others have already reported its mutagenicity at the tk locus. Using CREST staining and C-banding studies, we showed that the induced micronuclei contained mostly chromosomal fragments although some may have contained whole chromosomes. By incorporating BrdU into the DNA of SHE cells, we determined that micronuclei were induced only when the compound was added while the cells were in S phase. Microscopically visible effects due to 5-azacytidine treatment were not observed until anaphase of the mitosis following treatment or thereafter. 5-Azacytidine did not induce micronuclei via interference with formation of the metaphase chromosome arrangement in mitosis, a common mechanism leading to aneuploidy. SupravitalUV microscopy revealed that chromatid bridges were observed in anaphase and, in some cases, were sustained into interphase. In the first mitosis after 5-azacytidine treatment we observed that many cells were unable to perform anaphase separation. All of these observations indicate that 5-azacytidine is predominantly a clastogen through its incorporation into DNA. KW - Toxikologie KW - Micronuclei KW - L5178Y cells KW - 5-Azacytidine KW - Berenil KW - DES KW - Ethionine KW - Mitosis Y1 - 1993 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-63411 ER -