Modification of the genetic effect of N-nitrosoethylurea in inbred mice by para-aminobenzoic acid

The ability of para-aminobenzoic acid--vitamin (PABA) to influence the sensitivity of mice to alkylating mutagens was studied. PABA had no influence on the cytogenetic effect of thio-TEPA. It was determined that PABA altered the effect of N-ethyl nitrosourea (ENU). The direction of modification depends on animal genotype: pre-treatment with PABA decreases the frequency of chromosome aberrations in bone marrow cells of CBA/LacY and C57BL/JY mice, but significantly increases it in 101/HY mice. The PABA influence on the frequency of gene mutations induced by ENU in melanocytes of mice and revealed by "spot-test" was not determined.