Genotoxicity of ochratoxin A in mice: DNA single-strand break evaluation in spleen, liver and kidney.

Ochratoxin A, a natural contaminant of feed and food, has been shown to induce experimental liver and kidney tumours. In vitro experiments on mice spleen cells showed evidence of DNA single-strand breaks induced by ochratoxin A. We measured single-strand breaks in the DNA of spleen, liver and kidney of ochratoxin A-treated animals. Ochratoxin A induced DNA damage in vivo. This damage reversed with time. The appearance and extent of the damage varied in different tissues. Except for spleen our data correlate with the tumours induced by ochratoxin in mouse liver and kidney. With regard to the spleen, there has been no report to date of experimental leukemia induced by ochratoxin A. Thus our results indicate that this possibility has to be considered.