Mutagenicity studies with x-ray-contrast media, analgesics, antipyretics, antirheumatics and some other pharmaceutical drugs in bacterial, Drosophila and mammalian test systems.

As part of our investigation into mutagenic effects of environmental compounds, we studied 21 pharmaceuticals most frequently sold in West Germany: 6 X-ray-contrast media, 13 analgesics, antipyretics and antirheumatics, 1 central stimulant, and 1 antidepressant. They were studied in different bacterial, Drosophila and mammalian test systems. 4 of these 21 compounds could be detected as mutagens in one of the test systems. namely: 1,2-dichloroethane induced an increase in the frequency of recessive sex-linked lethal mutations in Drosophila melanogaster, quinine dihydrochloride and dimethylaminophenazone were mutagenic in the Salmonella typhimurium tester strain TA98 in the presence of S-9 liver fraction derived from Aroclor-induced rats, and trilithium citrate caused a significant effect in the micronucleus test on bone marrow of NMRI mice.