Stressfull events lead to the release of corticosteroid hormones from the adrenal cortex. These hormones have wide effects on physiology and function of cells. Due to wide range of glucocorticoid effects on cellular activities, it is not surprising that stress may enhance the probability of genomic damage and may also alter the transcriptional regulation of cell cycle in dividing cells. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of stress on induction of aneuploidy in mouse fibroblast cells in vitro. L929 cells were cultured with three different concentrations of hydrocortisone in combination with vinblastin. After three hours cytochalasin B was added to the culture to inhibit the cytoplasmic division. 24 hours later, cells were harvested and examined using micronucleus assay. Results indicated that using different concentrations of hydrocortisone alone, had no significant effect on aneuploidy. Comparison of test and control groups were considered and analyzed statistically and the results will be discussed in here. Results showed that hydrocortisone did not have significant effect on DNA damage alone. The effects of other stress hormones on increasing the effect of an aneugen in induction of DNA damage need more detailed cytological studies.

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