Induction of aneuploidy by nickel sulfate in V79 Chinese hamster cells

The ability of nickel sulfate (NiSO4) to induce chromosome aneuploidy was investigated in vitro using the V79 Chinese hamster cell line. V79 cells were treated with 10-400 muM NiSO4 for 24 h, and monitored up to 72 h following treatment with a chromosome aberration assay, a micronuclei assay using antikinetochore antibodies (CREST assay) and an anaphase/telophase assay. Aneuploid cells were induced in a significant fraction of the cell population 24-48h following treatment with nickel sulfate. The majority of these cells were hyperdiploid. In addition, nickel sulfate caused increased frequency of cells with kinetochore-positive micronuclei as well as kinetochore-negative micronuclei. Abnormal chromosome segregation such as lagging chromosomes, chromosome bridges and asymmetric segregation were also observed in more than 50% of anaphase or telophase cells following treatment with NiSO4. The incidences of these abnormalities were dose-dependent in general, although the effects were prominent in a sublethal dose. These results indicate that NiSO3 has the ability to induce aneuploidy in V79 cells. In addition, the results in anaphase/telophase assay suggest that the compound may have an effect on spindle apparatus, which could result in aneuploidy following abnormal chromosome segregation. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.