Trenbolone: application of the Ames test. Recent data.

The mutagenicity of trenbolone, a synthetic androgen, was studied in a number of genotoxicity tests using in vitro and in vivo systems for gene mutations, chromosomal mutations and primary DNA damage demonstration. Only 2 tests were found to be positive or dubious: the in vitro micronucleus test in SHE cells (however, this test was negative in 2 other cell lines: C3H and CHO cells) and the Ames test for 1 of the 5 studies which found a positive result in TA 100 strain without metabolic activation. Repetition of this study with pure trenbolone showed no genotoxic activity; trenbolone was therefore considered to be devoid of genotoxic activity.