Mutagenesis of xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts by acrolein

Acrolein, a short-chain aldehyde encountered as a component of tobacco smoke and as a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, was tested for its toxic and mutagenic effects toward human fibroblast cells. We found that human cells characterized by a deficiency in DNA repair (cells from xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) patients) were much more sensitive (D37 approximately equal to 0.25 microM) to the cytotoxic effects of acrolein than were cells from normal individuals (D37 approximately equal to 0.8 microM). Acrolein was also strongly mutagenic to the XP cells (a dose response was observed between 0.2 and 0.8 microM acrolein); however acrolein did not induce an increase in the mutant frequency of normal fibroblasts. Possible reasons for this apparent lack of mutagenicity in normal human cells are discussed.