Toxicological studies with cells

Abstract

Cell culture yields a model system that provides direct access and evaluation of the effects of chemicals on tissues and constitutes a valuable tool to analyze cell toxicity mechanisms. In vitro model systems, in general, have been used to study the mechanism of action of chemicals and to analyze the cellular basis for compound-induced toxicity as well as to develop rapid and high-throughput screening systems for the evaluation of the toxicity of chemicals, which may complement in vivo toxicity testing or may replace some in vivo models if they are scientifically validated and accepted by regulatory agencies [1, 3]. The term in vitro (“in the glass”) refers to the technique of performing a given experiment in a test tube or in a controlled environment outside a living organism. In vitro methods are based on the use of cells or tissues which are cultured under controlled conditions in flasks and plates. Cells/tissues are exposed to chemicals and their toxic or beneficial effect is measured. Increasingly, human cells are used since they better predict possible effects on humans. Commonly used in vitro models for assessing chemical toxicity include perfused organ preparations, isolated tissue preparations, single cell suspensions, and cell culture systems, such as primary cell cultures and mammalian cell lines. Of these in vitro models, cell culture systems have been widely used because they are reliable, reproducible, and relatively inexpensive experimental systems to assess chemical toxicity at the cellular level.