Genotoxic potential of crown ethers in mammalian cells: induction of sister-chromatid exchanges.

Crown ethers are macrocyclic polyethers which possess ionophoric properties. These compounds are currently being studied for potential use as pharmaceutical agents as well as antibacterials. Though crown ethers have been shown to be highly toxic in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, there have been few investigations into the potential genotoxicity of these compounds. When sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were quantitated after exposure to crown ethers, the results reflected no significant genotoxic effects on Chinese hamster V79 cells at any of the crown ether concentrations utilized. One crown ether, dicyclohexyl 21-crown-7, did appear to possess antigenotoxic activity. The data on the induction of SCEs by crown ethers reported herein suggest that these compounds are not genotoxic in mammalian cells despite their cytotoxicity.