Cytogenetic effects of an agricultural antibiotic, captan, on mouse bone marrow and testicular cells.

This paper deals with the cytogenetic effects of Captan on mouse bone marrow and testis. We used (a) the assays of micronuclei (MN) in polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE), (b) the mouse chromosomal aberration test on bone marrow and testis, and (c) the assay of sperm morphology. The tested doses in these assays were 1000, 800, 400, 100, and 50 mg/kg. The results showed that Captan was remarkably mutagenic to bone marrow, the lowest dose inducing MN being 100 mg/kg, and to chromosome breakage, 400 mg/kg. It was also demonstrated that captan was mutagenic to cells of the mouse testis; there was a certain relationship between dosage and response. The lowest doses inducing mutagenicity of spermatocyte and primary spermatogonia and sperm-head abnormality were 50, 800, and 200 mg/kg, respectively.