Analysis of metabolism and genotoxicity of 5-nitro-3-thiophenecarboxanilides in bacterial, mammalian and human cells

5-nitro-3-thiophenecarboxanilide (NTCA3) was clearly mutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, YG1021 (the strain with elevated nitroreductase) and YG1024 (the strain with elevated O-acetyltransferase) and only slightly mutagenic at the gpt locus in AS52 cells. Clastogenic activity in human lymphocytes was dependent on the length of exposure : detectable chromosome aberrations were observed following a 24 h treatment period, but not after 3 h exposure. S9 increased genotoxicity in both mammalian cells and human lymphocytes. Metabolites formed by incubation of NTCA3 with the different cell systems were examined. A time-course study in cell whole extracts showed that bacterial and mam…