Abstract

Very weak light emission observed in the Ames test system suggests that such chemiluminescence can be used for the detection and monitoring of mutagenic substances. To explore a new potentially practicable method of detection, we measured and examined ultraweak chemiluminescence as the response of a primary culture of rat hepatocytes to specific mutagenic and nonmutagenic substances employing a highly sensitive photon counting system that has been developed recently by our group. Hepatocytes were collected from rats (Wistar, male, 6 weeks of age) using the collagenase perfusion method and cultured for 96 h. Mutagens were added to the cells, and chemiluminescence intensity was analyzed. We found that benzo(a)pyrene, recognized as a strong mutagen, exhibited significant chemiluminescence from the hepatocytes in a dose-dependent manner for over 30 min. Substances showing no mutagenic activity, such as pyrene or triphenylene, exhibited no significant emission in the hepatocytes.

© 1987 Optical Society of America