Chromosome aberrations, sister-chromatid exchanges and cell-cycle kinetics in human peripheral blood lymphocytes exposed to organoselenium in vitro.

The ability of 2 synthetic organoselenium compounds, a dimer of p-methoxybenzeneselenol (DPMBS) and benzylselenocyanate (BSC), to induce sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) and chromosome aberrations (CA) as well as to alter the progression of the cell through mitosis has been investigated in cultured human lymphocytes. Cultures treated with the highest concentration (2.27 x 10(-5) M) of the 2 compounds exhibited about a 3-fold increase in the level of SCE and about 2-3-fold increase in the incidence of CA. In addition, the 2 selenium compounds led to an inhibition of cell proliferation as was evidenced by the depression of the proliferation rate index (PRI).