Mutagenicity of cadmium, platinum and rhodium compounds in cultured mammalian cells.

The induction of mutation by cadmium chloride (CdCl2), platinum tetrachloride (PtCl4), and rhodium trichloride (RhCl3.3H2O) was measured utilizing the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) locus in V-79 cells. Cadmium chloride at a concentration of 0.05 microM induced ford mutation in V-79 cells 4 times that of their control mutation frequency. Platinum tetrachloride at a concentration of 15 microM and 300 microM rhodium trichloride also induced ford mutation in V-79 cells at rates of around 7 and 4 times control rates, respectively. Platinum is often, and rhodium sometimes added to dental metallic alloys to improve their metallurgic characteristics and cadmium has been mingled in such alloys as well. Moreover, metallic dental drugs such as K2PtCl4 are used a dentine desensitizers. Thus, the genetic hazards of metal ions including cadmium, platinum, and rhodium that dissolve from dental materials and drugs must be investigated and caution exercised for their safe use in dental clinics.