Assessment of cytogenetic response to folic acid deprivation in rat lymphocytes

Rat lymphocyte cultures were initiated in minimal essential medium containing 0, 0.01, 1.0, or 10 mg/l of folic acid to investigate the influence of folic acid on cell kinetics, chromosome aberration, and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequencies. No significant difference was observed between cultures with and without folic acid in mitotic index or cell cycle kinetics as judged by the numbers of average lymphocyte divisions. However, a sequential reduction in the number of chromatid gaps occurred as the concentration of folic acid increased. On the other hand, addition of folic acid did not significantly affect the SCE frequency. Although folic acid does not seem to alter SCE formation, its significant influence in the reduction of chromatid gaps suggests that caution should be exercised in selecting a medium regarding folic acid content especially because gaps alone are produced by certain dose levels of some chemical clastogens.