In present time a noninvasive method to estimate the radiation and mutagen exposure is the need of the day. For this, the buccal epithelial micronuclei assay was evaluated by monitoring the employees of our nuclear research centre, who come for annual medical checkup. Micronucleus assay is sensitive indicator and provides a measure of chromosome breakage, damage and chromosome loss. A study was undertaken for evaluating 50 random individuals working in nuclear research centre, to compare baseline micronuclei frequency in exfoliated buccal epithelial cells and lymphocyte micronuclei. Buccal micronucleus cytome assay (BMNcyt) and blood lymphocyte cytokinesis blocked micronuclei assay (CBMN) was performed on slides stained with Geimsa’s stain. We report here the data on mean frequency of spontaneous micronuclei in buccal epithelial cells and blood lymphocytes. The mean Frequency of micronuclei (MN) observed in buccal epithelial cells of females 0.99 ± 0.21 ‰ (range 0.09 – 2.92) and of males 0.49 ± 0.10/10 ‰ (range 0.00 – 2.06). MN frequency in buccal epithelial cells was 0.66 ± 0.10 ‰ (range 0.00 – 2.92). The MN frequencies in human peripheral blood lymphocytes of same donors were found to be 8.61 ± 0.10 ‰ (range 3.00 – 17.00) in females and 9.15 ± 1.00 ‰ (range 3.00 – 22.00) in males. A total MN frequency in cytokinesis blocked lymphocytes was 8.96 ± 0.73 ‰ BN cells (Range: 3.00 – 22.00). The observed baseline frequency of spontaneous micronuclei in buccal epithelial cell and in human peripheral blood lymphocytes are correlating. Therefore buccal epithelial cell micronuclei are a good noninvasive bio-monitoring assay.
