A search for the genotoxic principle associated with the Tubercule bacillus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis using mice as model

Abstract

The genotoxic principle associated with the tubercule bacilli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been investigated using bone marrow chromosome aberration frequency as the indicator in different sets of experimentally treated mice against controls. The data scored from 400 metaphase plates of 2 male and 2 female mice on 7th day after injection in each series revealed the average aberration frequency of 27.50% in log culture, 11.25% in culture filtrate, 17.50% in isolated bacteria in saline suspension, 6.0% in autoclave-killed bacterial suspension and 9.27% in BCG treated specimens while it was 5.50% in Kirschner's medium, 1.75% in normal saline and 6.0% in distilled water injected control series. It has been opined that the active principle for the genotoxic effect on mice could be the surface proteins liberated by the disintegration of the bacilli as well as the cellular components, the role of the latter is yet to be tested.