CHAPTER 7: Experiments with Micronucleus Assays Using Nasal, Urothelial and Cervical Human Cells

This chapter describes the use and methods of micronucleus (MN) experiments with exfoliated cells from the nasal epithelium, bladder and cervix. No standardized protocols are available for these assays, but scoring criteria that were developed for oral mucosa (buccal cells) can be used. The data that are available from studies with nasal cells indicate that MN formation reflects exposure of the respiratory tract to genotoxic carcinogens. Experiments with urothelial cells may be useful in detecting occupational exposures to genotoxic chemicals, in particular those which induce bladder cancer, for the diagnosis of this form of cancer and also for the surveillance of bladder cancer patients. However, further experimental work is required to prove this latter assumption. The results of MN experiments with cervical cells indicate that this method could be useful for the detection and prognosis of cervical cancer.