Detection of chromosome loss and gain induced by griseofulvin, estramustine, and vanadate in binucleated lymphocytes...

Cytochalasin B-blocked binucleated human lymphocytes from a healthy male donor were used to detect micronucleus induction and other aneuploidy events (chromosome loss and gain) after treatment with griseofulvin (GF), estramustine (EM), and sodium orthovanadate (Na(3)VO(4)). A two-color FISH was performed by using centromeric probes for chromosome 2 (FITC labeled) and the X chromosome (TRITC labeled) to measure chromosome loss and gain events in binucleated cells. GF induced mainly aneuploid binucleates involving the X chromosome, but this was not associated with preferential loss of one of the two chromosomes. EM preferentially induced aneuploidy of chromosome 2, and Na(3)VO(4) of the X chromosome. Our results indicate that chromosome malsegregation events (chromosome loss and/or gain) are probably not randomly induced, suggesting that different mechanisms leading to aneuploidy may be either chromosome-dependent or compound- and dose- related.