[Influence of arsenic on proliferation and differentiation of rat bud cells in vitro].

The objective of this study was designed to evaluate the developmental toxicity of arsenic and its effect on embryonic chondrogenesis of Sprague-Dawley rat by using Flint's rat limb bud cell micromass cultrure system in vitro. The results revealed that arsenic inhibited markedly both proliferation and differentiation of rat limb bud cells in vitro and there was an obvious dose-response relationship. The concentrations of arsenic for IP50(dose of inhibiting proliferation by 50% of the control value) and ID50(dose of inhibiting differentiation by 50% of the control value) were 0.70 mg/L and 0.21 mg/L respectively. The ratio between IP50 and ID50 was 3.3. These parameters indicated that the influence of arsenic on differentiation of rat limb bud cells was stronger than on proliferation, and arsenic belonged to a strong teratogenic agent and a specific inhibitor. This study suggested that the specific inhibitory action of arsenic on limb bud cell differentiation did not result from the cytotoxicity, but would result from the teratogenic effects of arsenic.