Aflatoxin-induced structural chromosomal changes and mitotic disruption in mouse bone marrow

Ascorbic acid in a dose proportional to the human therapeutic dose (500 mg/day), when administered to Swiss albino mice along with a dietary concentration of aflatoxin B1, decreases the incidence of toxin-induced chromosomal abnormalities in the bone marrow cells. Treatment with the toxin alone (6 and 12 weeks) did not produce any differences in clastogenicity. The vitamins, when administered along with the toxin for 6 weeks, seemed to nullify more of the structural changes than of the mitotic disruptions. In 12-week treatment, more structural and fewer disruption-type abnormalities were found.