In Vivo and In Vitro Evidence for Genotoxicity of Acrylamide

Acrylamide is a chemical intermediate used in a variety of laboratory and commercial products including soil-conditioning agents, dyes, pigments, and in the treatment of drinking water. Acrylamide also finds its way into the human diet when amino acids and sugars present in food are heated at high temperature during food processing. Earlier studies have demonstrated that chronic acrylamide treatment produced tumors in rats and mice; yet, the mechanism of acrylamide carcinogenicity remains unresolved. The aim of the present study was to investigate the biologic consequences of acrylamide exposure both in vitro and in vivo animal models. Animals were subjected to bone marrow micronucleus assays, chromosomal analysis, and flow cytometry analysis. Significant increases of chromosomal aberrations, in a dose dependent manner, were observed in human leukocytic culture and bone marrow cells of mice. There was also an increase in micronucleus frequency in bone marrow cells of mice. Flow cytometry analysis showed a reduced DNA content in liver cells of treated mice indicating acrylamide clastogenicity. Although acrylamide is a common laboratory reagent, its role as an environment contaminants will only be resolved with further investigations of its detrimental effects.