title: Toxicological assessment of chemicals using Caenorhabditis elegans and optical oxygen respirometry.
abstract: Oxygen consumption is indicative of an organism's metabolic state, whereby alterations in respiration rate can result from the presence of different stimuli. Here, we develop a novel approach based on quenched fluorescence oxygen sensing and respirometry method for toxicity screening assays using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Previously, C. elegans was established as a useful model in soil and aquatic toxicology studies. For existing toxicology screening approaches with C. elegans, however, the endpoint is lethality. In addition, the assay time frame for the existing approaches is considerably longer than that for the approach described here. We present a sensitive, robust, high-throughput platform using standard laboratory equipment for toxicological studies by measuring respiration rate in C. elegans animals using a phosphorescent probe.
authors.affiliation: Genetics and Biotechnology Lab, Department of Biochemistry, BioSciences Institute, University College Cork, College Road, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schouest
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zitova
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spillane
authors.forename: Dmitri
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Papkovsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000633:toxicity; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005453:Fluorescence; D052998:Microcystins / Q000633:toxicity; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects*; D010261:Paraoxon / Q000633:toxicity; D010636:Phenols / Q000633:toxicity; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012402:Rotenone / Q000633:toxicity; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D015032:Zinc / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D052998:Microcystins; D010636:Phenols; D002104:Cadmium; D012402:Rotenone; C078588:microcystin; D015032:Zinc; D010261:Paraoxon; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide