Test No. 249: Fish Cell Line Acute Toxicity - The RTgill-W1 cell line assay
The RTgill-W1 cell line assay describes a 24-well plate format fish cell line acute
toxicity test using the permanent cell line from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
gill, RTgill-W1. After 24 h of exposure to the test chemical, cell viability is assessed
based on three fluorescent cell viability indicator dyes, measured on the same set
of cells. Resazurin enters the cells in its non-fluorescent form and is converted
to the fluorescent product, resorufin, by mitochondrial, microsomal or cytoplasmic
oxidoreductases. A reduction in the fluorescence of resorufin indicates a decline
in cellular metabolic activity, including disruption of mitochondrial membranes. The
data are expressed as the percent cell viability of unexposed control values versus
the test chemical concentration. The resulting concentration-response curves serve
to determine the effective concentrations causing 50% loss in cell viability, i.e.
the EC50 value.
The test is designed to (i) predict fish acute toxicity in product testing; (ii) range-finding
and pre-screening before conducting a full fish acute or other fish-based toxicity
test; (iii) generation of toxicity information to be used for hazard assessment in
combination with other lines of evidences (e.g., Quantitative Structure Activity Relationships
(QSAR), weight of evidence (WoE)) within Integrated Testing Strategy (ITS)/Integrated
Approach to Testing and Assessment (IATA).
Published on June 18, 2021Also available in: French
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