Costa L G
Dept. of Environmental Health, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
Environ Health Perspect. 1998 Apr;106 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):505-10. doi: 10.1289/ehp.98106505.
A large number of chemicals may exert adverse effects on the central and/or peripheral nervous system. A commonly recommended strategy for neurotoxicity testing is that of a tiered approach aimed at identifying and characterizing the neurotoxicity of a compound. Guidelines exist in the United States and other countries that define the tests to be utilized in tier 1 testing. To address problems related to the increasing cost and time required for toxicity testing, the increasing number of chemicals being developed, and the concern of animal welfare activists, attention is currently being devoted to in vitro alternatives. This paper addresses the use of in vitro systems in neurotoxicology, and their potential role in a general strategy for neurotoxicity testing. The advantages and disadvantages of in vitro approaches for mechanistic studies and for screening of neurotoxicants are discussed. Suggestions for further validation studies are proposed.
大量化学物质可能会对中枢神经系统和/或周围神经系统产生不良影响。一种普遍推荐的神经毒性测试策略是采用分层方法，旨在识别和表征化合物的神经毒性。美国和其他国家存在定义一级测试中使用的测试的指南。为了解决与毒性测试所需成本增加、时间增加、正在开发的化学物质数量不断增加以及动物福利活动家的担忧相关的问题，目前正在关注体外替代方法。本文讨论了体外系统在神经毒理学中的应用及其在神经毒性测试总体策略中的潜在作用。讨论了体外方法用于机制研究和神经毒剂筛选的优缺点。提出了进一步验证研究的建议。
