TY - JOUR T1 - Anabolic androgenic steroids induce micronuclei in buccal mucosa cells of bodybuilders JF - British Journal of Sports Medicine JO - Br J Sports Med SP - 592 LP - 596 DO - 10.1136/bjsm.2006.032474 VL - 41 IS - 9 AU - O Torres-Bugarín AU - R Covarrubias-Bugarín AU - A L Zamora-Perez AU - B M G Torres-Mendoza AU - M García-Ulloa AU - F G Martínez-Sandoval Y1 - 2007/09/01 UR - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/41/9/592.abstract N2 - Objective: To evaluate genotoxicity of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) in male bodybuilders by a micronucleus assay in buccal mucosa cells.Methods: 11 male bodybuilders volunteered to participate in this study and two groups were formed: group 1 (n = 6), without AAS consumption and group 2 (n = 5), with AAS consumption. A sample of buccal epithelium was taken from each participant once a week for 6 weeks. Samples were fixed, stained and analysed by a light microscope, and 2000 cells were counted from each slide. Results are expressed as micronucleated cells (MNC) per 1000 cells and were analysed by the Mann–Whitney U test and Wilcoxon’s test.Results: A marked increased in MNC was seen in bodybuilders with AAS consumption compared with those without AAS consumption (mean (SD) 4.1 (2.4) MNC/1000 cells vs 0.4 (0.4) MNC/1000 cells, respectively; p<0.004). Intragroup comparisons showed no differences in the MNC frequencies during the sampling time in group 1, whereas the MNC frequency in group 2 varied significantly, reaching the highest MNC frequencies in the third and fourth week of sampling (5.9 (2.4) MNC/1000 cells; 5.8 (1.8) MNC/1000 cells, respectively); frequency in the first sampled week was 1.1 (0.1) MNC/1000 cells. Significant differences in all sampled weeks were found between the two groups.Conclusion: AAS consumption increased the frequency of MNC from buccal mucosa in bodybuilders. ER -