Potassium bromate and micronucleus tests in rats
What it found
In rats given potassium bromate by mouth, more micronucleated cells appeared in the glandular stomach and bone marrow, but not in the liver or colon.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Stomach and bone marrow
Potassium bromate increased the frequency of micronucleated cells in the glandular stomach and bone marrow of rats.
Liver and colon
Potassium bromate did not increase the frequency of micronucleated cells in the liver or colon in any of the repeated dose studies in rats.
Signs of toxicity
Rats treated with potassium bromate showed some signs of toxicity in the kidney and/or stomach.
Length of dosing
The frequency of micronucleated cells in the glandular stomach was not significantly affected by how long the rats were dosed.
What the authors conclude
“These results suggest that performing the MN assay using the glandular stomach, which is the first tissue to contact agents after oral ingestion, is useful for evaluating the genotoxic potential of chemicals and that the glandular stomach MN assay could be integrated into general toxicity studies.”
Also in their conclusions
- They suggest that performing the micronucleus assay using the glandular stomach, which is the first tissue to contact agents after oral ingestion, is useful for evaluating the genotoxic potential of chemicals.
- They say the glandular stomach micronucleus assay could be integrated into general toxicity studies.
How it was done
Potassium bromate is a food additive known to cause kidney cancer and chromosome damage. The authors wanted to see whether repeated-dose micronucleus tests of the liver and gastrointestinal tract could pick up a genotoxic carcinogen that targets other organs.
They gave potassium bromate to rats by mouth for 4, 14 and 28 days. They then measured the frequency of micronucleated cells in the liver, glandular stomach, colon and bone marrow.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are animal studies. They can't show what happens in people.
- The study looked at micronucleated cells in rats, not at whether potassium bromate causes cancer in people.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Yakult Central Institute, Japan
The paper
- Title
- Evaluation of repeated dose micronucleus assays of the liver and gastrointestinal tract using potassium bromate: a report of the collaborative study by CSGMT/JEMS.MMS
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Okada E, Fujiishi Y, Narumi K, et al (2015). Evaluation of repeated dose micronucleus assays of the liver and gastrointestinal tract using potassium bromate: a report of the collaborative study by CSGMT/JEMS.MMS. Mutation research. Genetic toxicology and environmental mutagenesis. doi:10.1016/j.mrgentox.2014.03.002PubMed 24637080DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error