Fecapentaene-12 causes DNA damage and mutations in human cells.

Fecapentaenes are mutagens found in human feces and may play a role in the pathogenesis of colon carcinoma. However, the genotoxk effects of fecapentaenes have not been previously studied in mammalian cells. We now report that fecapenta-ene-12 (fec-12), a prototype for these compounds, causes DNA single strand breaks, sister chromatid exchanges and mutations in cultured human fibroblasts. These results indicate that fec-12 is a potent genotoxic agent in human cells. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]