An Animal Model for the Evaluation of Drug-Induced Chromosome Damage

Abstract

Cytogenetic analyses of cells subjected to psychotropic drugs are important but restrictive when man is the study subject. An experimental animal system, using the rabbit, was established to ascertain whether a relationship exists between in vivo administration of drugs of abuse and chromosome damage. This report describes the cytogenetic data after acute and/or chronic intravenous administration of d-methamphetamine-HCl, LSD-25, and mitomycin C. The hyperthermia data of LSD-25 were analyzed during the experiments with this drug. A positive control was established with mitomycin C and sterile injectable saline was used for the negative controls. Pre and post chromosome complements failed to show any statistical association between chromosome damage and LSD or methamphetamine. The hyperthermia engendered after the injection of LSD was statistically significant and residual in nature.

Genetic toxicity of methamphetamine in vitro and in human abusers

“…All these studies, performed with either cultured neural cells or the CNS of animal models, indicate that ROS play an important role in METH-induced neurotoxicity. Because ROS also are capable of inducing genotoxicity [Amarose et al, 1973;Schraufstatter et al, 1986;Teoule and Duplaa, 1989;Anwar et al, 1989;Phillips et al, 1989;Hsie et al, 1990;Esterbauer et al, 1990;Yu et al, 1994;Dobo and Eastmond, 1994;Wang and Huang, 1994;Youssefi et al, 1994;Winn and Wells, 1995;Kim and Wells, 1996;Ogura et al, 1996;Elwell (Fig. 5) suggest that ROS may be elicited directly by METH per se.…”