Homologous Recombination Induced by Doxazosin Mesylate and Saw Palmetto in the Drosophila Wing-Spot Test

The study assessed the genotoxic effects of doxazosin mesylate and saw palmetto, commonly used for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), using the Drosophila wing-spot test. Finasteride was found to be nongenotoxic, as it did not induce gene mutation, chromosomal mutation, or mitotic recombination. However, doxazosin mesylate and saw palmetto significantly increased spot frequencies in trans-heterozygous flies, indicating they induced homologous recombination. This genotoxicity was linked to the loss of heterozygosity, as no increase in spot frequencies was observed in balancer-heterozygous flies.