[Clastogenic effects of zinc in mammals]

The eventual clastogenic properties of zinc chloride have been assessed as well in vitro as in vivo studies on mammalian somatic cells. For this purpose, human peripheral lymphocytes were treated in 48 or 72 hours cultures with 0, 20 or 200 micrograms zinc chloride, whereas C57Bl mice have received during one month a normal or poor calcium diet in combination or not with 0.5 g % of zinc. Chromosome analysis of treated human lymphocytes and of bone marrow cells of mice fed a poor dietary calcium supplemented with zinc has shown a significant increase in structural chromosome aberrations.