Differences in the effect of vitamin E on nickel sulfide or nickel chloride-induced chromosomal aberrations in mammalian cells.

Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol succinate) pretreatment significantly inhibited formation of some but not all of the chromosomal aberrations induced by crystalline NiS particles but it did not affect the chromosome damage induced by NiCl2. Crystalline NiS particles are phagocytized by cells in contrast to water-soluble NiCl2 which enters the cells by a different mechanism. These and other previous studies suggest that the phagocytosis of crystalline NiS particles produces genetic damage as a consequence of oxygen radicals resulting from the irritant particle effect and also from the high intracellular levels of nickel ions dissolving from the endocytized particles.