Assessment of genotoxicity of Flutamide an anticancer drug using sperm head morphology assay and micronucleus test in Swiss albino mice

Abstract

Flutamide is a non-steroidal compound reported to have anti-androgenic properties, which appears to act by inhibiting the uptake and/or binding of androgens in target tissues. It is used in the palliative treatment of prostatic carcinoma. Flutamide exerts its potent anti-androgenic effect with little or no other hormonal activity. The present study was undertaken to fill in the void in knowledge on its cytotoxic effect by performing the sperm-head morphology assay and micronucleus test in swiss albino mice. The sperm-head morphology assay is an in-vivo cytogenetic assay which helps in the detection of agents responsible for inducing mutations or causing damages in germ cells. The micronucleus assay is also as in vivo assay which measures the clastogenicity. Experiments revealed that, sperm-head abnormalities and micronuclei increased directly in proportion to the concentration.