Evaluation of the genotoxicity of 4-N-butylamino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine hydrochloride (centbucridine): a new local anaesthetic.

Centbucridine, a new local anaesthetic, was tested in in vivo genotoxicity assays. Three different endpoints were selected for this purpose. Chromosome aberrations (CA) and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) were analysed in bone marrow cells and DNA-strand breaks (SB) were measured in liver cells of mice following a single acute exposure. No significant differences were observed in the CA, SCE and SB studies, when compared with respective controls. An increase in the mitotic indices (MI) was observed only with the lowest dose tested in the CA study. No significant differences in the MI were observed with the two higher doses tested when compared with solvent controls. Trend tests for linear dose response were negative in all the parameters examined including MI. The overall results of the three endpoints tested indicated that centbucridine was not genotoxic in the mouse.