Toxic activity of seventeen industrial solvents and halogenated compounds on human lymphocytes cultured in vitro.

Seventeen chemicals (solvents, insecticides and intermediates in the production of textiles and resins) were tested in a short-term in vitro system with human lymphocytes to determine their toxic action. The parameters studied were the tritiated thymidine uptake and cell viability in cultures grown with or without a rat liver metabolizing system (S-9 mix). Data obtained showed that 1,3-dichlorobenzene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, hexane, 1,2-diiodoethane, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, tetrachloroethylene, 2,3-dibromopropanol, chloromethyl methyl ether, 1,2- and 1,3-dibromopropane, in order, exerted the more toxic effects; ethyl acetate, cyclohexane, cyclohexanone and benzene showed lower toxic activity. The chemicals lost their toxic power in the presence of the metabolizing system with the exception of 1,2- and 1,3-dichlorobenzene which maintained in some degree their toxicity even in the presence of the S-9 mix. Only chloromethyl methyl ether elicited unscheduled DNA synthesis acting as DNA damaging agent.

Effect of pesticides on scheduled and unscheduled DNA synthesis of rat thymocytes and human lymphocytes.

The action of seventeen pesticides (insecticides, fungicides and herbicides) has been studied with short-term in vitro system using rat thymocytes and/or human lymphocytes. The parameters studied were: a)the action of chemicals tested in scalar doses on DNA synthesis of rat thymocytes; b)damage exerted by pesticides on human lymphocyte DNA measured as unscheduled DNA sythesis; c)the interference of chemicals tested with human lymphocyte repair capability after damage exerted on cells by ultraviolet rays. The results obtained suggest that some of tested pesticides don't induce damages to human lymphocyte DNA, some others elicit low DNA repair if compared to the repair following a standard ultraviolet irradiation and some of them (6/17) exert a marked inhibition of cell repair processes after ultraviolet irradiation. Data are discussed on the basis of a possible role played by these substances as carcinogenic agents in the environment.