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Kang B, Wang J, Guo S, Yang L. Mercury-induced toxicity: Mechanisms, molecular pathways, and gene regulation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 943:173577. [PMID: 38852866 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Mercury is a well-known neurotoxicant for humans and wildlife. The epidemic of mercury poisoning in Japan has clearly demonstrated that chronic exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) results in serious neurological damage to the cerebral and cerebellar cortex, leading to the dysfunction of the central nervous system (CNS), especially in infants exposed to MeHg in utero. The occurrences of poisoning have caused a wide public concern regarding the health risk emanating from MeHg exposure; particularly those eating large amounts of fish may experience the low-level and long-term exposure. There is growing evidence that MeHg at environmentally relevant concentrations can affect the health of biota in the ecosystem. Although extensive in vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated that the disruption of redox homeostasis and microtube assembly is mainly responsible for mercurial toxicity leading to adverse health outcomes, it is still unclear whether we could quantitively determine the occurrence of interaction between mercurial and thiols and/or selenols groups of proteins linked directly to outcomes, especially at very low levels of exposure. Furthermore, intracellular calcium homeostasis, cytoskeleton, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, neurotransmitter release, and DNA methylation may be the targets of mercury compounds; however, the primary targets associated with the adverse outcomes remain to be elucidated. Considering these knowledge gaps, in this article, we conducted a comprehensive review of mercurial toxicity, focusing mainly on the mechanism, and genes/proteins expression. We speculated that comprehensive analyses of transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics could enhance interpretation of "omics" profiles, which may reveal specific biomarkers obviously correlated with specific pathways that mediate selective neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bolun Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, 100012 Beijing, China
| | - Jinghan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, 100012 Beijing, China
| | - Shaojuan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, 100012 Beijing, China
| | - Lixin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, 100012 Beijing, China.
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Wang R, Guo S, Kang B, Yang L. Toxicogenomic signatures associated with methylmercury induced developmental toxicity in the zebrafish embryos. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 313:137380. [PMID: 36435318 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a toxicant with adverse effects on embryogenesis from fish to man. The developmental outcomes of MeHg are well understood, but molecular understanding of toxicity is rather limited. We performed here a genome-wide transcriptional analyses of 6, 30, and 50 μg/L MeHg exposed zebrafish embryos from 4 to 72 h post-fertilization (hpf) using RNA-sequencing and microarray, and conducted a systematical comparison of MeHg-induced transcriptomic responses reported in this and our previous studies. We observed MeHg significantly to disrupt expression of 1050, 1931, and 2996 genes, respectively including gene ontologies in terms of visual and sensory perception, phototransduction, ferroptosis, and GABAergic synapse. Significantly altered genes were associated with ontology categorized into metabolism, such as fatty acid, amino acid, and glutathione metabolism across all experiments. Expression of genes involved in Wnt, Shh, and Notch signaling pathways previously demonstrated to be crucial for development was changed at varying levels dependent on exposure concentrations and durations. Our findings show MeHg significantly to affect expression of genes associated with tissue and/or organs developmental processing including eye, lateral line, fins, and brain, especially in embryos exposed to 6 μg/L, which did not cause obviously toxic effects on zebrafish embryos. We obtain 21 genes being significantly altered by MeHg in a concentration and stage independent manner, and might be served as signatures for developmental toxicity and/or teratogenic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruihong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, 100012, Beijing, China
| | - Shaojuan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, 100012, Beijing, China
| | - Bolun Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, 100012, Beijing, China
| | - Lixin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, 100012, Beijing, China.
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3
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Oliveira CS, Segatto ALA, Nogara PA, Piccoli BC, Loreto ÉLS, Aschner M, Rocha JBT. Transcriptomic and Proteomic Tools in the Study of Hg Toxicity: What Is Missing? Front Genet 2020; 11:425. [PMID: 32431728 PMCID: PMC7215068 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mercury is a hazardous substance that has unique neurodevelopmental toxic effects in humans. However, the precise sequence of molecular events that culminate in Hg-induced neuropathology is still unknown. Though the omics studies have been generating an enormous amount of new data about Hg toxicity, our ability to interpret such a large quantity of information is still limited. In this opinion article, we will reinforce the necessity of new high throughput and accurate analytical proteomic methodologies, especially, thiol and selenol-proteome. Overall, we posit that improvements in thiol- and selenol-proteomic analyses will be pivotal in identifying the primary cellular targets of Hg. However, a better understanding of the complex cascades and molecular pathways involved in its toxicity will require extensive complementary studies in more complex systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cláudia S. Oliveira
- Programa Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Biotecnologia Aplicada a Saúde da Criança e do Adolescente, Instituto de Pesquisa Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, Brazil
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Ana L. A. Segatto
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Pablo A. Nogara
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Bruna C. Piccoli
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Élgion L. S. Loreto
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - João B. T. Rocha
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
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Wegner SH, Park JJ, Workman T, Hermsen SAB, Wallace J, Stanaway IB, Kim HY, Griffith WC, Hong S, Faustman EM. Anchoring a dynamic in vitro model of human neuronal differentiation to key processes of early brain development in vivo. Reprod Toxicol 2020; 91:116-130. [PMID: 31740287 PMCID: PMC6980388 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2019.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
We characterize temporal pathway dynamics of differentiation in an in vitro neurotoxicity model with the aim of informing design and interpretation of toxicological assays. Human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) were cultured in differentiation conditions up to 21 days. Genes significantly changed through time were identified and grouped according to temporal dynamics. Quantitative pathway analysis identified gene ontology (GO) terms enriched among significantly changed genes and provided a temporal roadmap of pathway trends in vitro. Gene expression in hNPCs was compared with publicly available gene expression data from developing human brain tissue in vivo. Quantitative pathway analysis of significantly changed genes and targeted analysis of specific pathways of interest identified concordance between in vivo and in vitro expression associated with proliferation, migration, differentiation, synapse formation, and neurotransmission. Our analysis anchors gene expression patterns in vitro to sensitive windows of in vivo development, helping to define appropriate applications of the model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna H Wegner
- Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Julie Juyoung Park
- Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Tomomi Workman
- Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Sanne A B Hermsen
- Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Jim Wallace
- Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Ian B Stanaway
- Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Hee Yeon Kim
- Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - William C Griffith
- Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Sungwoo Hong
- Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Elaine M Faustman
- Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
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Harley JR, Bammler TK, Farin FM, Beyer RP, Kavanagh TJ, Dunlap KL, Knott KK, Ylitalo GM, O'Hara TM. Using Domestic and Free-Ranging Arctic Canid Models for Environmental Molecular Toxicology Research. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:1990-1999. [PMID: 26730740 PMCID: PMC5290708 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b04396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The use of sentinel species for population and ecosystem health assessments has been advocated as part of a One Health perspective. The Arctic is experiencing rapid change, including climate and environmental shifts, as well as increased resource development, which will alter exposure of biota to environmental agents of disease. Arctic canid species have wide geographic ranges and feeding ecologies and are often exposed to high concentrations of both terrestrial and marine-based contaminants. The domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) has been used in biomedical research for a number of years and has been advocated as a sentinel for human health due to its proximity to humans and, in some instances, similar diet. Exploiting the potential of molecular tools for describing the toxicogenomics of Arctic canids is critical for their development as biomedical models as well as environmental sentinels. Here, we present three approaches analyzing toxicogenomics of Arctic contaminants in both domestic and free-ranging canids (Arctic fox, Vulpes lagopus). We describe a number of confounding variables that must be addressed when conducting toxicogenomics studies in canid and other mammalian models. The ability for canids to act as models for Arctic molecular toxicology research is unique and significant for advancing our understanding and expanding the tool box for assessing the changing landscape of environmental agents of disease in the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R. Harley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 900 Yukon Drive Room 194, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-6160, United States
| | - Theo K. Bammler
- Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE #100, Seattle, Washington 98105 United States
| | - Federico M. Farin
- Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE #100, Seattle, Washington 98105 United States
| | - Richard P. Beyer
- Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE #100, Seattle, Washington 98105 United States
| | - Terrance J. Kavanagh
- Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE #100, Seattle, Washington 98105 United States
| | - Kriya L. Dunlap
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 900 Yukon Drive Room 194, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-6160, United States
| | - Katrina K. Knott
- Memphis Zoo, 2000 Prentiss Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38112, United States
| | - Gina M. Ylitalo
- Environmental Fisheries and Sciences Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Boulevard E. Seattle, Washington 98112-2013, United States
| | - Todd M. O'Hara
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, 901 Koyukuk Dr, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-7750, United States
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Wegner SH, Yu X, Pacheco Shubin S, Griffith WC, Faustman EM. Stage-specific signaling pathways during murine testis development and spermatogenesis: A pathway-based analysis to quantify developmental dynamics. Reprod Toxicol 2014; 51:31-9. [PMID: 25463528 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2014.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Revised: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Shifting the field of developmental toxicology toward evaluation of pathway perturbation requires a quantitative definition of normal developmental dynamics. This project examined a publicly available dataset to quantify pathway dynamics during testicular development and spermatogenesis and anchor toxicant-perturbed pathways within the context of normal development. Genes significantly changed throughout testis development in mice were clustered by their direction of change using K-means clustering. Gene Ontology terms enriched among each cluster were identified using MAPPfinder. Temporal pathway dynamics of enriched terms were quantified based on average expression intensity for all genes associated with a given term. This analysis captured processes that drive development, including the peak in steroidogenesis known to occur around gestational day 16.5 and the increase in meiosis and spermatogenesis-related pathways during the first wave of spermatogenesis. Our analysis quantifies dynamics of pathways vulnerable to toxicants and provides a framework for quantifying perturbation of these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna H Wegner
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, United States
| | - Xiaozhong Yu
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, United States
| | - Sara Pacheco Shubin
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, United States
| | - William C Griffith
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, United States
| | - Elaine M Faustman
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, United States.
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7
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Farina M, Aschner M, Rocha JBT. Oxidative stress in MeHg-induced neurotoxicity. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2011; 256:405-17. [PMID: 21601588 PMCID: PMC3166649 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2011.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2011] [Revised: 05/01/2011] [Accepted: 05/02/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is an environmental toxicant that leads to long-lasting neurological and developmental deficits in animals and humans. Although the molecular mechanisms mediating MeHg-induced neurotoxicity are not completely understood, several lines of evidence indicate that oxidative stress represents a critical event related to the neurotoxic effects elicited by this toxicant. The objective of this review is to summarize and discuss data from experimental and epidemiological studies that have been important in clarifying the molecular events which mediate MeHg-induced oxidative damage and, consequently, toxicity. Although unanswered questions remain, the electrophilic properties of MeHg and its ability to oxidize thiols have been reported to play decisive roles to the oxidative consequences observed after MeHg exposure. However, a close examination of the relationship between low levels of MeHg necessary to induce oxidative stress and the high amounts of sulfhydryl-containing antioxidants in mammalian cells (e.g., glutathione) have led to the hypothesis that nucleophilic groups with extremely high affinities for MeHg (e.g., selenols) might represent primary targets in MeHg-induced oxidative stress. Indeed, the inhibition of antioxidant selenoproteins during MeHg poisoning in experimental animals has corroborated this hypothesis. The levels of different reactive species (superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide) have been reported to be increased in MeHg-exposed systems, and the mechanisms concerning these increments seem to involve a complex sequence of cascading molecular events, such as mitochondrial dysfunction, excitotoxicity, intracellular calcium dyshomeostasis and decreased antioxidant capacity. This review also discusses potential therapeutic strategies to counteract MeHg-induced toxicity and oxidative stress, emphasizing the use of organic selenocompounds, which generally present higher affinity for MeHg when compared to the classically studied agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Farina
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - João B. T. Rocha
- Departamento de Química, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
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Robinson JF, Yu X, Moreira EG, Hong S, Faustman EM. Arsenic- and cadmium-induced toxicogenomic response in mouse embryos undergoing neurulation. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2010; 250:117-29. [PMID: 20883709 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2010.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2009] [Revised: 09/20/2010] [Accepted: 09/22/2010] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) are well-characterized teratogens in animal models inducing embryotoxicity and neural tube defects (NTDs) when exposed during neurulation. Toxicological research is needed to resolve the specific biological processes and associated molecular pathways underlying metal-induced toxicity during this timeframe in gestational development. In this study, we investigated the dose-dependent effects of As and Cd on gene expression in C57BL/6J mouse embryos exposed in utero during neurulation (GD8) to identify significantly altered genes and corresponding biological processes associated with embryotoxicity. We quantitatively examined the toxicogenomic dose-response relationship at the gene level. Our results suggest that As and Cd induce dose-dependent gene expression alterations representing shared (cell cycle, response to UV, glutathione metabolism, RNA processing) and unique (alcohol/sugar metabolism) biological processes, which serve as robust indicators of metal-induced developmental toxicity and indicate underlying embryotoxic effects. Our observations also correlate well with previously identified impacts of As and Cd on specific genes associated with metal-induced toxicity (Cdkn1a, Mt1). In summary, we have identified in a quantitative manner As and Cd induced dose-dependent effects on gene expression in mouse embryos during a peak window of sensitivity to embryotoxicity and NTDs in the sensitive C57BL/6J strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua F Robinson
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Schumann J. Teratogen screening: state of the art. Avicenna J Med Biotechnol 2010; 2:115-21. [PMID: 23408063 PMCID: PMC3558154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2010] [Accepted: 08/09/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the number of new substances coming into use every year and the increasing amounts of chemicals, which are introduced into the environment, there is a high demand for a rapid, reliable and cost-effective method for detection of developmental toxicity. To meet this challenge various in vitro techniques have been established additional to in vivo animal testing. This review introduces the techniques in existence at the moment. Requirements on an ideal in vitro teratogenicity test system are stated, and the advantages and disadvantages of the present methods are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Schumann
- Corresponding author: Julia Schumann, Ph.D., Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. Tel: +49 341 9738107. Fax: +49 341 9738119. E-mail:
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