Development and characterization of novel cell lines from Etroplus suratensis and their applications in virology, toxicology and gene expression

Transfection, cytotoxicity, and cell cycle studies on the two newly developed and characterized humpback grouper (Cromileptes altivelis) fin cell lines

The development and characterization of two novel humpback grouper (Cromileptes altivelis) fin cell lines are described in this study. The CA1F3Ex and CA1F4Tr cell lines were developed by explant and trypsinization methods, respectively, in Leibovitz's L15 (L-15) medium supplemented with 20% FBS (fetal bovine serum) and subcultured over 150 times. Cell lines exhibited high stability, as evidenced by the high revival rate (85-95%) and good attachment while seeding after one year of cryostorage. They displayed good seeding (91%) and plating efficiencies (15-25%). The optimum temperature for growth was recorded at 28˚C. Serum requirement decreased with increased passage and lowered to 2% FBS beyond 30-35 passages. However, higher serum concentration (2-20%) caused a concurrent increase in cell growth. Both the cell lines were fibroblast-type, and immunotyping results showed strong reactivity towards the fibroblast marker. Chromosome analysis of these cell lines revealed aneuploidy, and the authenticity was confirmed by mitochondrial Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit I (COI) genotyping analysis. Cell cycle studies were performed utilizing the flow cytometric technique. CA1F3Ex and CA1F4Tr cell lines showed high transfection efficiency with pEGFP-N1 plasmid using Lipofectamine and cytotoxicity towards heavy metals (Hg and Cd) was also studied. Hence, these continuous cell lines could be employed as in vitro models for aquatic toxicological and genetic manipulation studies.

Application of Novel Gill Cell Line from Lates calcarifer for Recognizing Metals Using Probes

Lates calcarifer (Bloch) is a potential candidate fish species for culture in marine and brackishwater. A continuous gill cell line was derived from L. calcarifer by the explant culture method and has been passaged for 132 times, in Leibovitz's L-15 medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) at 28 °C. The cells showed a rate of recovery between 90 and 95% after being successfully cryopreserved at various passage levels and formed monolayer in 2-3 days without any morphological changes. Immunophenotypic analysis of the SBG cell line revealed that they are of epithelial origin. Polymerase chain reaction assay using mitochondrial 12S rRNA primer specific to L. calcarifer was used to confirm the authenticity of the established gill cell line origin from seabass. The transfection efficiency was evaluated in Seabass Gill (SBG) cell line using pEGFP-N1 and Lipofectamine™ 3000. Transfection efficiency was found to be between 13 and 16%. The cytotoxicity of three different metal detecting probes was evaluated by MTT and Alamar blue assays to determine safe concentration. The result revealed that SBG cell line can be applied for recognition of metals using probes. The current study established, for the first time, a gill-derived cell line (SBG) from Lates calcarifer and its application for the detection of intracellular indium, mercury, and lutetium ions by specific fluorescent probes.

Establishment of a cobia (Rachycentron canadum) gill cell line: A valuable tool for immune response studies

Cobia (Rachycentron canadum), a commercially important marine fish, has been used to develop a novel gill cell line, designated CG, for the first time. The CG cell line was cultured in Leibovitz's-15 medium with 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and successfully sub-cultured more than 110 passages. It underwent verification through sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Optimal growth rate was achieved when the CG cell line was cultured in a medium supplemented with 5% FBS, 1% Penicillin-Streptomycin (P/S), and 5 parts per thousand (ppt) of coral sea salt water, maintained at a temperature of 27 °C. The addition of 5 ppt of salt in the growth medium suggests that this cell line could be a viable in vitro tool for marine ecosystem toxicological studies or for culturing marine parasitic microorganisms. The CG cell line was also successfully transfected using the pTurbo-GFP plasmids, showing an 18% efficiency, with observable GFP expression. Furthermore, the cell line has been effectively cryopreserved. Gene expression analysis indicated that the CG cell line exhibits responsive regulation of immune gene expression when exposured to various stimulants, highlighting its potential as an in vitro platform for immune response studies. This makes it suitable for exploring dynamic immune signaling pathways and host-pathogen interactions, thereby offering valuable insights for therapeutic development.

Fish cell line: depositories, web resources and future applications

Cell lines are important bioresources to study the key biological processes in the areas like virology, pathology, immunology, toxicology, biotechnology, endocrinology and developmental biology. Cell lines developed from fish organs are utilized as a model in vitro system in disease surveillance programs, pharmacology, drug screening and resolving cases of metabolic abnormalities. During last decade, there were consistent efforts made globally to develop new fish cell lines from different organs like brain, eye muscles, fin, gill, heart, kidney, liver, skin, spleen, swim bladder, testes, vertebra etc. This increased use and development of cell lines necessitated the establishment of cell line depositories to store/preserve them and assure their availability to the researchers. These depositories are a source of authenticated and characterized cell lines with set protocols for material transfer agreements, maintenance and shipping as well as logistics enabling cellular research. Hence, it is important to cryopreserve and maintain cell lines in depositories and make them available to the research community. The present article reviews the current status of the fish cell lines available in different depositories across the world, along with the prominent role of cell lines in conservation of life on land or below water.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10616-023-00601-2.

Susceptibility of a cell line derived from the kidney of Chinese rice-field eel, Monopterus albus to the infection of rhabdovirus, CrERV

Chinese rice-field eels rhabdovirus (CrERV), belonging to the genus Perhabdovirus in the family Rhabdoviridae, is the causative agent of the haemorrhagic disease of Chinese rice-field eels, Monopterus albus. The present study aims to establish a cell line derived from the kidney of Chinese rice-field eel (CrEK) for the further study of the pathogenic virus. CrEK cells were epithelioid-like and grew well in M199 medium supplemented with 10% foetal bovine serum at 28°C, and the cell line has been subcultured for more than 80 times. Karyotyping analysis of CrEK cells at 25th passage indicated a modal chromosome number of 24. Significant cytopathic effect (CPE) was observed in CrEK cells after infection with CrERV, and the virus titre reached 10^{7.8 ± 0.45} TCID₅₀ /mL. The transmission electron microscopy revealed that there were a large number of virus particles in the cytoplasm of cells. The virus infection in cells was also assayed by using indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). In experimental infection, CrERV cultured by cells could cause over 90% mortality in fish. CrEK represents the first kidney cell line originated from Chinese rice-field eels and be a potential material for investigating the mechanism of virus infection in this fish and the control methods for the disease.

Development and characterization of five novel cell lines from snubnose pompano, Trachinotus blochii (Lacepede, 1801), and their application in gene expression and virological studies

Five novel permanent cell lines have been established from gill, heart, kidney, eye and fin of snubnose pompano, Trachinotus blochii. They were designated as snubnose pompano gill (SPG), snubnose pompano heart (SPH), snubnose pompano kidney (SPK), snubnose pompano eye (SPE) and snubnose pompano fin (SPF), respectively. All these cell lines were characterized and cryopreserved successfully at different passage levels. Cell lines were passaged every alternate day; SPG, SPH, SPK, SPE and SPF cell lines attained passage levels of 68, 74, 82, 79 and 106, respectively, since the initiation of their development in 2019. The cell lines grew well in Leibovitz's 15 medium containing 15% foetal bovine serum at 28°C. Immunophenotyping of the cell lines revealed the presence of fibronectin and pancytokeratin. No mycoplasma contamination was found. The transfection study revealed the gene expression efficiency of these cell lines by expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP). The authentication on origin of cell lines from T. blochii was confirmed by amplification of species-specific mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene. The results showed the susceptibility of these cell lines to fish nodavirus (FNV) and tilapia lake virus (TiLV) and resistance to cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV-2). The FNV infection in the cell lines was confirmed by RT-PCR, Western blot, ELISA and immunocytochemistry, while TiLV infection was confirmed by RT-PCR assay. These results revealed that these cell lines are suitable for virological and foreign gene expression studies.

Establishment, characterization, and transfection potential of a new continuous fish cell line (CAM) derived from the muscle tissue of grass goldfish (Carassius auratus)

A new continuous fish cell line (CAM) has been successfully derived from the muscle tissues of grass goldfish, Carassius auratus. The primary cell cultures were initiated by incomplete trypsinization first and then explant culture in a Leibovitz-15 medium supplemented with 15% fetal bovine serum and 10% fish muscle extract. It was found that the CAM cells were very sensitive to trypsinization and needed to be sub-cultured at a low trypsin concentration of 0.0625% to be able to go through the crisis of spontaneous immortalization transformation, and afterward a total of five derivative cell strains were isolated from the original CAM cell line. This spontaneous immortalization transformation event was recorded successively at passages 44-47, beginning with a large-scale apoptosis and senescence and followed by mitosis arrest and re-activation, thus designated as cell strain CAM-44A, 44B, 45A, 44B, and 47A. Now both the CAM cell line and strains had been sub-cultured for more than 89 times and could be well cryopreserved in the growth medium containing 5% dimethylsulfoxide. Chromosome analysis and COI gene analysis had confirmed the grass goldfish origin of these CAM cells. Transfection potential analysis indicated that Lipofectamine LTX and Xfect were two suitable transfection reagents to be used in the gene delivery of CAM cells with a transfection efficiencies up to 11±6% and 8±3% in the CAM cell lines, respectively. Among the five cell strains, CAM-47A showed the highest transfection potential with a transfection efficiency up to 28 ± 5%. This work will provide a useful cell source for works on the cell-based artificial fish meat production and functional studies of fish myogenesis-related genes.

Mediation of oxidative stress toxicity induced by pyrethroid pesticides in fish

Organophosphate and organochlorine pesticides are banned in most countries because they cause high toxicity and bioaccumulation in non-target organisms. Pyrethroid pesticides have been applied to agriculture and aquaculture since the 1970s to replace traditional pesticides. However, pyrethroids are approximately 1000 times more toxic to fish than to mammals and birds. Fish-specific organs such as the gills and their late metabolic action against this type of pesticide make fish highly susceptible to the toxicity of pyrethroid pesticides. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the neurological, reproductive, and developmental toxicity caused by pyrethroids. Deltamethrin, cypermethrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin are representative pyrethroid pesticides that induce oxidative stress in tissues such as the gills, liver, and muscles of fish and cause histopathological changes. Although they are observed in low concentrations in aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, and surface water they induce DNA damage and apoptosis in fish. Pyrethroid pesticides cause ROS-mediated oxidative stress in fish species including carp, tilapia, and trout. They also cause lipid peroxidation and alter the state of DNA, proteins, and lipids in the cells of fish. Moreover, changes in antioxidant enzyme activity following pyrethroid pesticide exposure make fish more susceptible to oxidative stress caused by environmental pollutants. In this review, we examine the occurrence of pyrethroid pesticides in the aquatic environment and oxidative stress-induced toxicity in fish exposed to pyrethroids.

Establishment of a cell line with high transfection efficiency from zebrafish Danio rerio embryos and its susceptibility to fish viruses

A cell line ZBE3 isolated from a continuous cell culture derived from zebrafish Danio rerio blastomeres by clonal growth was characterized. ZBE3 cells had been subcultured for >120 passages since the initial primary culture of the blastomeres. The ZBE3 cells grow stably at temperature from 20 to 32° C with an optimum temperature of 28° C in ESM2 or ESM4 medium with 15% foetal bovine serum (FBS). The optimum FBS concentration for ZBE3 cell growth ranged from 15 to 20%. Cytogenetical analysis indicated that the modal chromosome number of ZBE3 cells was 50, the same as the diploid chromosome number of D. rerio. Significant cytopathic effect was observed in ZBE3 cells after infection with redspotted grouper nervous necrosis virus, Singapore grouper iridovirus and grass carp reovirus, and the viral replication in the cells was confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR and transmission electron microscopy, indicating the susceptibility of ZBE3 cells to the three fish viruses. After transfected with pEGFP-N3 plasmid, ZBE3 cells showed a transfection efficiency of about 40% which was indicated by the percentage of cells expressing green fluorescence protein. The stable growth, susceptibility to fish viruses as well as high transfection efficiency make ZBE3 cells be a useful tool in transgenic manipulation, fish virus-host cell interaction and immune response in fish.

Application of fish cell lines for evaluating the chromium induced cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and oxidative stress

In the present study, we hypothesize that cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and oxidative stress play a key role in chromium induced toxicity in SISS, SISK, IEE, IEK, IEG, SICH and ICG cell lines after 24 h exposure. Three fish species namely Lates calcarifer, Etroplus suratensis and Catla catla were exposed to the concentrations of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 mg/L of chromium for 96 h under static conditions for conducting acute toxicity tests. LC₅₀ was then calculated. The percentage cell survival was assessed by multiple endpoints such as MTT, NR, AB and CB assays in the seven fish cell lines exposed to different concentrations of chromium and EC₅₀ values of all the four endpoints were calculated. High significances were noted in the correlations between each in vitro cytotoxicity assays and in vivo mortality data. Cell shrinkage, cell detachment, vacuolations and cell swelling at the highest concentration of chromium (50 mg/L) were seen on microscopic examination of cell morphology. Comet assay and Hoechst staining were carried out to assess DNA damage and nuclear fragmentation in the seven fish lines exposed to chromium. The results of antioxidant parameters obtained indicate a significant reduction in the level of catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase and Glutathione peroxidase, and increased level of lipid peroxidation in all the cell lines exposed to chromium. These results confirm that fish cell lines could be used as an alternative to whole fish for cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and oxidative stress assessment in chromium toxicity studies.

Effects of nicotine on zebrafish: A comparative response between a newly established gill cell line and whole gills

A novel cell line, Danio rerio gill (DrG), derived from the gill tissue of zebrafish, was established and characterized. The cells were able to grow at a wide range of temperatures from 25°C to 32°C in Leibovitz's L-15 medium. The DrG cell line consists of epithelial-like cells with a diameter of 18-22μm. The cell line was characterized by mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene. Acute toxicity tests were conducted on D. rerio by exposing them to nicotine for 96h under static conditions. In vitro cytotoxicity of nicotine was assessed in DrG cell line using multiple endpoints such as 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), Neutral Red assay, Alamar Blue assay and Coomassie Blue protein assay. Linear correlations between each in vitro cytotoxicity assay and the in vivo mortality data were highly significant. Nicotine induced intracellular reactive oxygen species generation in DrG cell line in a concentration dependent manner. DrG cell line and zebrafish exposed to nicotine significantly increased the elevation of lipid peroxidation (LPO) while depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH), manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidise(GPx1a) was observed. In nicotine treated fish and cells a negative correlation between reduced glutathione and LPO was observed. In addition, the production of ROS and the resulting oxidative stress resulted in increased expression of apoptosis related genes p53 and cas3.Collectively, our result suggests that nicotine has the potential to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, oxidative stress and apoptosis in DrG cell line and zebrafish.

Development and use of retinal pigmented epithelial cell line from zebrafish (Danio rerio) for evaluating the toxicity of ultraviolet-B

Danio rerio retinal pigmented epithelial (DrRPE) cell line, derived from the RPE tissue, was established and characterized. The cells were able to grow at a wide range of temperatures from 25°C to 32°C in Leibovitz's L-15 medium. The DrRPE cell line consists of epithelial cells with a diameter of 15-19 μm. The cell line was characterized by mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene, immunocytochemical analysis, and karyotyping. DrRPE cells treated with 10 μM of all-trans-retinol for 24 h readily formed lipid droplets. DrRPE cells were irradiated with narrowband ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation at different time periods of 0, 10, 20, and 40 min. The cells were subsequently examined for changes in morphology, cell viability, phagocytotic activity, mitochondrial distribution, nuclei morphology, generation of reactive oxygen species, and expression of apoptotic-related genes p53 and Cas3 by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results demonstrate that UV-B radiation can cause a considerable decrease in DrRPE cell viability as well as in phagocytotic activity. In addition, the results demonstrate that UV-B radiation can induce the degradation of mitochondria and DNA in cultured DrRPE cells.

In vitro cytotoxic, genotoxic and oxidative stress of cypermethrin on five fish cell lines

The indiscriminate use of pesticides and herbicides to enhance crop production has aroused great concern, because these products are likely to reach the aquatic environment, thereby posing a health concern for humans and aquatic species. Cypermethrin (CYP), a type II pyrethroid insecticide, is widely used in agriculture and for other purposes. Therefore a study was conducted for the assessment of cytotoxic, genotoxic and oxidative stress of CYP in IEG, CB, ICG, LRG and CSG cell lines at 24h exposure. The cytotoxic effect of CYP in IEG, CB, ICG, LRG and CSG cell lines was assessed using MTT, NR, AB and CB assays. Linear correlations between each EC50 values, of CYP resulting in 50% inhibition of cytotoxicity parameters after 24h exposure to CYP were calculated for IEG, CB, ICG, LRG and CSG cell lines using MTT, NR, AB and CB assays. Statistical analysis revealed good correlation with R(2)=0.90-0.939 for all combinations between endpoints employed. The percentage of DNA damage was assessed by comet assay in IEG, CB, ICG, LRG and CSG cells exposed to CYP. The results of antioxidant parameters obtained show a significant increase in lipid peroxidation (LPO) level and decreased level of GSH, SOD and CAT in IEG, CB, ICG, LRG and CSG cell lines after exposure to increasing CYP in a concentration-dependent manner. This work proves that fish cell lines could be used not only for cytotoxicity and genotoxicity studies but also for studying oxidative stress when exposed to environmental contaminants such as pesticides and other pollutants.

Fish as research tools: alternatives to in vivo experiments

The use of fish in scientific research is increasing worldwide, due to both the rapid expansion of the fish farming industry and growing awareness of questions concerning the humane use of mammalian models in basic research and chemical testing. As fish are lower on the evolutionary scale than mammals, they are considered to be less sentient. Fish models are providing researchers, and those concerned with animal welfare, with opportunities for adhering to the Three Rs principles of refinement, reduction and replacement. However, it should be kept in mind that fish should also be covered by the principles of the Three Rs. Indeed, various studies have shown that fish are capable of nociception, and of experiencing pain in a manner analogous to that in mammals. Thus, emphasis needs to be placed on the development of alternatives that replace, as much as possible, the use of all living vertebrate animals, including fish. This review gives the first comprehensive and critical overview of the existing alternatives for live fish experimental studies. The alternative methods described range from cell and tissue cultures, organ and perfusion models, and embryonic models, to in silico computer and mathematical models. This article aspires to guide scientists in the adoption of the correct alternative methods in their research, and, whenever possible, to reduce the use of live fish.

Establishment, characterization and viral susceptibility of two cell lines derived from leopard wrasse Macropharyngodon geoffroy

Two new fish cell lines were established from skin (LWSK) and fin (LWFN) of leopard wrasse Macropharyngodon geoffroy. These cells grew optimally at 25° C in Leibovitz-15 medium supplemented with 10% foetal bovine serum. Proliferation of M. geoffroy cells remained serum dependent up to cell passage 16, and cell-plating efficiency ranged from 12 to 16%. Karyotypic analysis of these new cell lines at cell passage 8 indicated that both cell lines remained diploid with a peak chromosomal count of 144. PCR amplification of 16S mitochondrial DNA and the subsequent analysis confirmed that these cell lines were indeed derived from M. geoffroy. Results of viral challenge assays revealed that both LWSK and LWFN shared patterns of viral susceptibility similar to that of six fish viruses tested: LWSK and LWFN cells were highly permissive to channel catfish virus, spring viremia carp virus and snakehead rhabdovirus with high-yield virus production ranging from 10(7·18±0·17) to 10(8·37±0·16) TCID50  ml(-1) (mean ± s.d.). These newly established cell lines would be useful in attempts to isolate and study aquatic viruses, particularly the viral aetiology of green turtle fibropapilloma as M. geoffroy is known to be one of the common cleaner fish of green sea turtles.

Development and characterization of a new cell line CF from caudal fin of knifefish, Chitala chitala (Hamilton-Buchanan)

A new cell line was successfully obtained from caudal fin tissue of the economically important freshwater fish Chitala chitala. The cell line was optimally maintained at 28°C in Leibovitz's L-15 supplemented with 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS). The effects of temperature and concentration of FBS on the growth of CF cells were examined. The CF cell line consisted predominantly of fibroblastic-like cells. Moderately low plating efficiencies 8%, 11%, and 17% were observed, with CF cell line in L-15 Medium with 20% FBS. Chromosomal analysis of the cell line revealed a diploid number of 42 chromosomes in C. chitala. Molecular characterization of mitochondrial 16S rRNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I confirmed the origin of the cell line. The cells were successfully cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen (-196°C) for 6 mo, and more than 85-90% of CF cells were revived.

Development, characterization and application of a new fibroblastic-like cell line from kidney of a freshwater air breathing fish Channa striatus (Bloch, 1793)

A new cell line, Channa striatus kidney (CSK), derived from the kidney tissue of murrel, was established and characterized. The CSK cell line was maintained in Leibovitz's L-15 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and has been subcultured more than 140 times. This cell line was able to grow in a range of temperatures from 22 to 32°C with optimal growth at 28°C. The plating efficiency was very high (67.54%) and doubling time was approximately 29h. The kidney cell line was cryopreserved at different passage levels and revived successfully with 90-92% survival. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of mitochondrial 16S rRNA using primer specific to C. striatus confirmed the origin of this cell line from murrel. The cell line was further characterized by chromosome number, transfection and mycoplasma detection. A marine fish nodavirus was tested to determine the susceptibility of this new cell line. The CSK cell line was found to be susceptible to nodavirus and the infection was confirmed by cytopathic effect (CPE), reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunodot blot, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), virus replication efficiency and real time RT-PCR. The present study highlights the development and characterization of a new kidney cell line from an air breathing fish that could be used as an in vitro tools for propagation of fish viruses and gene expression studies.

Development and characterization of cell line from the gill tissue of Catla catla (Hamilton, 1822) for toxicological studies

Catla gill cell line (ICG) was established from gill tissue of Indian major carp (Catla catla), a freshwater fish cultivated in India. The cell line was maintained in Leibovitz's L-15 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. These cells have been sub-cultured more than 55 passages over a period of 2 years. The ICG cell line consists predominantly of epithelial-like cells. The cells were able to grow at a wide range of temperatures from 24°C to 32°C with an optimum temperature of 28°C. The growth rate of gill cells increased as the fetal bovine serum (FBS) proportion increased from 2% to 20% at 28°C with optimum growth at the concentrations of 10% or 15% FBS. Amplification of mitochondrial gene 12s rRNA using primers specific to C. catla confirmed the origin of this cell line from C. catla. The cells were successfully cryopreserved and revived at passage numbers 25, 35, 45 and 55. The cytotoxicity of three metal salts (ZnCl(2), CuSO(4) and CdCl(2)) was assessed in ICG cell line using multiple endpoints such as MTT, Neutral Red assay, Alamar Blue assay and Coomassie Blue protein assay. Acute toxicity assay on fish were conducted by exposing C. catla for 96 h to three metal salts under static conditions. Statistical analysis revealed good correlation with r(2)=0.908-0.985 for all combinations between endpoints employed. Linear correlations between each in vitro EC(50) and the in vivo LC(50) data were highly significant.

Comparison of in vitro and in vivo acute toxicity assays in Etroplus suratensis (Bloch, 1790) and its three cell lines in relation to tannery effluent

Cell lines of Etroplus suratensis established in our laboratory were evaluated for their potential use as screening tools for the ecotoxicological assessment of tannery effluent. The cytotoxic effect of tannery effluent in three cell lines derived from eye, kidney and gill tissue of E. suratensis was assessed using multiple endpoints such as Neutral Red (NR) assay, Coomassie Blue (CB) protein assay and Alamar Blue (AB) assay. Acute toxicity tests on fish were conducted by exposing E. suratensis for 96 h to tannery effluent under static conditions. The toxic effect of tannery effluent on the survival of fish was found to be concentration and time dependent. The tannery effluent at the concentration of 15% caused 100% mortality at 96 h whereas the lower concentration (0.5%) caused 13.33% mortality. The cytotoxicity of tannery effluent was found to be similar in the three cell lines tested, independent of the toxic endpoints employed. EC(50) values, the effective concentration of tannery effluent resulting in 50% inhibition of cytotoxicity parameters after 48 h exposure to tannery effluent were calculated for eye, kidney and gill cell lines using NR uptake, AB and cell protein assays. Statistical analysis revealed good correlation with r(2)=0.95-0.99 for all combinations between endpoints employed. Linear correlations between each in vitro EC(50) and the in vivo LC(50) data, were highly significant p<0.001 with r(2)=0.977, 0.968 and 0.906 for AB(50), NR(50), and CB(50), respectively.