No mutagenic effect of enflurane on cultured cells.

Enflurane was tested by the 8-azaguanine system for any evidence of mutagenic effects. No significant increase in the number of mutant colonies compared with controls was found after 24 h of exposure of Chinese hamster cells to 1.5-6.5% enflurane and no damaged chromosomes were seen in metaphase cells on slides. Studies of inhibition of growth rate by enflurane show that in this respect its effects were similar in magnitude to other commonly used inhalation anaesthetic agents, but with regard to cell survival (as measured by colony-forming ability) there was surprisingly little increase in toxicity with increasing concentrations of enflurane.