Mutagenicity of acrylonitrile in mouse

The capacity of acrylonitrile (ACN) to produce chromosome aberrations in mammals was studied in somatic and germ cells of male NMRI mice. Induction of chromosome aberrations was followed in bone marrow cells 6, 18, 24, 48 and 72 h after an i.p. injection of 20 or 30 mg/kg acrylonitrile, and polychromatic erythrocytes were examined for the presence of micronuclei 24, 30 and 48 h after injection. The dominant lethal test served to detect chromosome aberrations in meiotic and postmeiotic male germ cells. All the tests utilized yielded negative results, so that it may be concluded that acute treatment with acrylonitrile has no clastogenic effects on male mouse cells in vivo.