The genetic toxicology of nitrogen and sulphur mustard

Veterans at risk: the health effects of mustard gas and Lewisite

“…Animal studies of sulfur mustard effect on skin have been directed principally at defining a role for this agent in the process of carcinogenesis (Fox and Scott, 1980;Heston, 1953;. Such studies have been performed in a variety of animals including dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, rats, and mice, as described in Chapter 6.…”

Toxicology Studies on Lewisite and Sulfur Mustard Agents: Genetic Toxicity of Sulfur Mustard (HD) in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells Final Report

“…In aqueous solutions, both sulfur and nitrogen mustard hydrolyze to form cyclic sulfonium or immunium forms, respectively, which, in turn, will react with nucleophilic sites. The sulfur mustard reaction proceeds more rapidly to the reaction with nucleoph11es than does nitrogen mustard and is independent of the concentration of nucleophiles present (Fox and Scott, 1980). The cytotoxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic properties of mustard compounds have been studied extensively {Fox and Scott 1 1980), but most of these data relate to nitrogen mustard because sulfur mustard is a more toxic and chemically reactive vesicant.…”

“…HO is a known clastogen which produces all of the types of chromatid aberrations commonly seen with ionizing radiation (Fox and Scott, 1980). Conversely 1 very few, if any, chromosome type aberrations have been observed after HD treatment.…”

“…Reviews on the genetic tox i co 1 ogy of nitrogen mustard and HD have summarized the knoW!'! effects of these agents in biological systems (Auerbach, 1949;Auerbach, 1976;Fox and Scott, 1980) , Dominant 1 ethal , sex-1 inked recessive and autosoma 1 lethal , and visible mutations as well as major rearrangements and chromosomal aberrations have been reported in the fruit fly. The mutagenic potential of HD was recently evaluated in the standard plate incorporation version and the preincubation modification the Salonella/microsomal (Ames) assay (Stewart, 1987;Stewart et al, 1989).…”

“…The bifunctional alkylating agent, HD, yields 7-alkylguanine as its principal alkylation product (Fox and Scott, 1980). Approximately 25% of these alkylations result in the formation of the DNA cross-link, diguanine-7-ethylmethylamine.…”