Cytogenetic analysis of human peripheral blood lymphocytes (in vitro) treated with resorcinol

Heparinized whole-blood samples from 4 normal donors were treated with resorcinol 24 h after initiation of cultures. Then, after being cultured for 24 and 48 h, the lymphocytes were fixed and the frequencies of chromosomal aberrations and sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were determined. The results from two different experiments indicate that, even at a low concentration of 0.002%, resorcinol was capable of increasing the frequency of chromosomal aberrations. Lymphocytes fixed at 48 h after the start of culture had a lower frequency of aberrations induced by resorcinol than those fixed at 72 h. In the SCE test in human lymphocytes, resorcinol was negative. Parallel experiments with Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells indicate that resorcinol is not effective in inducing either chromosomal aberrations or SCEs in these cells. The induced chromosomal aberrations were analysed as induced micronuclei in bone marrow of mice; and in a test in vitro with human diploid fibroblasts, resorcinol was also negative.