The mutagenic potential of the furylethylene derivative 2-furyl-1-nitroethene in the mouse bone marrow micronucleus test

The compound 2-furyl-1-nitroethene (G-0) has been tested to determine its ability to induce clastogenic or aneugenic effects in vivo, through the induction of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MNPCE) in mouse bone marrow. Groups of five CD-1 male mice were administered once intraperitoneally at a dose range of 5-20 mg/kg and bone marrow was sampled at 24 and 48 h after the treatment. G-0 was dissolved in corn oil, thus a vehicle control group received only corn oil at 10 ml/kg. The positive control group was administered with cyclophosphamide (40 mg/kg). All animals dosed with the highest concentration of the test agent (20 mg/kg) showed evident clinical symptoms of toxicity. Although evidences of bone marrow toxicity were observed, no statistically significant increases in the incidence of MNPCE over the vehicle control group were observed at any sampling time with any of the assayed doses of the G-0 compound. Cyclophosphamide treatment increased the incidence of MNPCE in all treated animals, demonstrating the sensitivity of the assay conditions in which it was carried out. From the results obtained, it is concluded that the test agent G-0 is neither clastogenic nor aneugenic in the erythrocytes from the bone marrow of treated mice at the doses tested.