Toxicity testing and genetic quality control.
The genetic background of animals plays a major role in the outcome of toxicity tests. The use animals with a defined and standardized genetic variation as opposed to animals from an outbred strain may improve the quality of the tests and may reduce the numbers of animals to be used. In order to achieve this, animals from distantly related inbred strain (and their F1 hybrids) should be matched up in test and control groups (block design). The genetic distance between strains can be estimated by comparing the genetic profiles of strains which have been characterized for a set of monogenic marker genes. The establishment of the genetic strain profiles is also necessary when selecting the marker genes which are to be used for the genetic quality control of inbred strains. DNA markers, in particular the highly polymorphic SSLP's (microsatellites) are the most appropriate ones for this purpose.
van Zutphen
L F
LF
Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007178:Inbreeding; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000235:genetics; D011786:Quality Control; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains / Q000235:genetics; D014116:Toxicology / Q000592:standards*