Chromosome aberrations induced by etoposide (VP‐16) are not random

Abstract

The clastogenic effect of etoposide, an anti‐cancer chemotherapeutic drug, was investigated in vitro on lymphocytes of 5 healthy donors. The analysis of the first division metaphases arising after mutagenesis in G₁, phase shows that chromosome‐type aberrations are much more frequent than chromatid‐type lesions. The distribution in relation to chromosome lengths of the 439 breakpoints that were accurately identified is not random: chromosomes I, II and 17 are most frequently involved, while chromosomes 4, 5 and × are seldom affected. This non‐random distribution may be related to chromosome structure, since R‐band‐rich chromosomes are significantly more affected than G‐band‐rich chromosomes.