You are here:
DEVELOPMENT OF ISOLATED MAMMALIAN EMBRYO TECHNIQUES FOR TOXIC SUBSTANCES SCREENING
Citation:
Williams, R., Q. Inman, AND L. Ulberg. DEVELOPMENT OF ISOLATED MAMMALIAN EMBRYO TECHNIQUES FOR TOXIC SUBSTANCES SCREENING. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/1-79/007 (NTIS PB292757), 1979.
Description:
A potential screen for assessing teratogenic potential of compounds in mammals was tested. The technique involves testing isolated mammalian embryos in culture by direct exposure to agents. Embryos from three species of mammals were used; the mouse, rabbit and swine. Four different substances were studied; 5-fluorouracil, cadmium, cacodylic acid and sodium chloride. About 3300 embryos from mice were used in the development of the technique. In general, the results of the study indicate that young mammalian embryos are responsive to a variety of contaminants that may be found in their environment. Different concentrations of the contaminant will elicit a different kind of response in the embryo. Higher concentrations result in death, but a lower concentration may retard the development of the embryo. Still other concentrations will interfere with the metabolic function of the embryo. Cadmium appears to be the most toxic of the substances studied. It causes the highest rate of embryo death. On the other hand, fluorouracil results in a negative linear relationship between the concentration of the substance and the incorporation of leucine into protein. It appears that some substances are effective over a narrow range while others are effective over a wider range. It is concluded that the procedure as reported is capable of determining the type of effect that a contaminant will have on the development of the mammalian embryo.