title: Use of murine embryonic stem cells in embryotoxicity assays: the embryonic stem cell test.
abstract: The embryonic stem cell test (EST) takes advantage of the potential of murine embryonic stem (ES) cells to differentiate in culture to test embryotoxicity in vitro. The EST represents a scientifically validated in vitro system for the classification of compounds according to their teratogenic potential based on the morphological analysis of beating cardiomyocytes in embryoid body outgrowths compared to cytotoxic effects on murine ES cells and differentiated 3T3 fibroblasts. Through a number of prevalidation and validation studies, the EST has been demonstrated to be a reliable alternative method for embryotoxicity testing based on the most important mechanisms in embryotoxicity-cytotoxicity and differentiation--as well as on differences in sensitivity between differentiated and embryonic tissues. Improvements of the EST protocol using flow cytometry analysis showed that differential expression of sarcomeric myosin heavy chain and alpha-actinin proteins quantified under the influence of a test compound is a useful marker for detecting potential teratogenicity. The in vitro embryotoxicity test described in this chapter is rapid, simple, and sensitive and can be usefully employed as a component of the risk/hazard assessment process.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Documentation and Evaluation of Alternative Methods to Animal Experiments (ZEBET), Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea E M
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Seiler
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buesen
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Visan
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Spielmann
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051379:Mice; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000378:metabolism; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012997:Solvents; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013723:Teratogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles
chemical_list: D012997:Solvents; D013723:Teratogens; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains; C022616:thiazolyl blue