硒作为一种自然界中存在的物质,一方面具有诱发遗传毒性作用的能力,另一方面又显示出潜在的拮抗突变或拮抗肿瘤的特性。因此,近来引起了人们的普遍关注。已有实验表明,硒的无机化合物对细菌、酵母以及哺乳类细胞具有诱变性。不过,在已有的人体及动物体内试验中,尚未检测出亚硒酸盐有引起染色体损伤的作用。考虑到硒类化合物的潜在遗传毒性作用,与其有益的一面相比,研究这类化合物对人体遗传危害的可能性,则显得更为重要。作者用分离的人外周血淋巴细胞,研究了 Selenium, as a substance existing in nature, has the ability to induce genotoxic effects on the one hand, and on the other shows potential antagonistic mutations or antitumor properties. Therefore, it has aroused people’s widespread concern recently. Experiments have shown that selenium inorganic compounds are mutagenic to bacteria, yeast and mammalian cells. However, selenite has not been found to cause chromosomal damage in existing human and animal in vivo tests. In view of the potential genotoxic effects of selenium compounds, it is even more important to study the potential of such compounds for genetic damage to humans than its beneficial side. The authors studied isolated human peripheral blood lymphocytes