Biochemical assessment of the genotoxicity of the in vitro interaction between chlordecone and carbon tetrachloride in rat hepatocytes.

The genotoxic potential of the administration of carbon tetrachloride alone or carbon tetrachloride to chlordecone-pretreated rats was investigated using an in vivo-in vitro animal model and a battery of biochemical assays to measure DNA repair in rat hepatocytes. Whereas carbon tetrachloride alone was not genotoxic, chlordecone or chlordecone in combination with carbon tetrachloride was genotoxic. The need for further investigation into the mechanism underlying the interaction between chlordecone and carbon tetrachloride is indicated strongly by the results of the present study.