Clastogenicity of trophosphamide in somatic and germinal cells of mice

Trophosphamide, a chemotherapeutic agent structurally related to cyclophosphamide, was tested in the micronucleus and heritable translocation assays in mice. It induced a linear increase of micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes 24 h after treatment with 1, 5, 25 or 50 mg/kg. In spermatids and spermatozoa of mice heritable translocations were induced by 150 mg/kg with an average frequency of 6%. The doubling doses calculated for micronucleus induction and heritable translocation induction were 5.0 and 1.3 mg/kg, respectively. These values are in the same order of magnitude and suggest that somatic and germinal cells are similarly sensitive to the clastogenic action of trophosphamide.