Testing the mutagenic potency of chemical substances in a linear host-mediated assay (LIHMA)

Instead of comparing "mutation frequencies" as used in the conventional host-mediated assay (HMA), a modified concept of measuring mutagenic potency is introduced by using a number of time intervals for taking samples. Regression analysis methods can then be applied to the numbers of mutant bacteria (reversions). Not only the mutagenic but also an additional antibacterial potency of a compound can be detected and estimated in the sam assay. It is demonstrated that interference of (undetected) antibacterial activity with the mutagenic activity may lead to misclassification of a substance concening its mutagenicity in the conventional HMA. This kind of erroneous assessment will be avoided by the LIHMA. Another advantage of the LIHMA over the conventiona HMA is that regression analysis also allows estimation of the sensitivity and reliability of the assay. The calculative procedure may be programmed on desk computers and is then most suitable for laboratories where large numbers of substances have to be examined routinely. A numerical is given using results obtained with nitrosoguanidine.