ABSTRACT
The global use of tetraalkyllead as an antiknock additive in gasoline has greatly increased our need for information about the possible genotoxic effects of organolead compounds. Cremer1 has demonstrated that R4Pb compounds are dealkylated to form the corresponding toxic trialkyllead salt by a hepatic microsomal metabolizing system. The effect of organolead compounds in adequate amounts as shown in studies of rodents is thus a direct fetotoxic potential. The action of inorganic lead on mammalian chromosomes has been studied frequently but with contradictory results. A certain genotoxic effect of organic lead has been demonstrated in humans as well as experimental animals and plants. The effects, however, are moderate except at concentrations close to toxic levels and the results are somewhat contradictory. The molecular mechanism and biological meaning of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) formation is largely unknown, but the validity of the SCE technique as an assay for mutagenicity is supported by the SCE induction results of known mutagens.
