ALTEX :: Alternatives to Animal Experiments

1998, VOLUME 3

Microbial Test Combination with Vibrio fischeri as a Screening Toxicity Test

Silke Schicktanz1,2, Dietrich Frahne2, Wolfgang Honnen2, and Ewald Müller3

1Eberhard-Karls-Universität D-Tübingen, Lehrstuhl für Ethik in den Biowissenschaften; 2Fachhochschule D-Reutlingen, Steinbeis-Transferzentrum Angewandte und Umwelt-Chemie; 3Eberhard-Karls-Universität D-Tübingen, Abt. Physiologische Ökologie der Tiere

SUMMARY

Two different microbial toxicity tests were investigated concerning the possibility to reduce animal experiments in product testing. In the acute bioluminescence test the inhibition of the bacterial luminescence was measured. In the chronic DMS test the inhibition of the microbial metabolism of DMSO to DMS was recorded. The combination of both tests with the same organism Vibrio fischeri enhances the power as a toxicological indicator. We used well known alcohols and tensides. For 15 substances, the correlation between the experimental results and the Draize eye irritation test (rs = 0,943) and the intravenous toxicity (rs = 0,958) was statistically significant. If both tests gave EC50 values >10000mg/L, the substance could be categorised as non or mild toxic. If the EC50 values were <5mg/L, an extremely toxic substance could be expected. Neither false positive nor false negative results have been found, therefore the application of the method as a screening test or as a part in a test battery is conceivable.

Keywords: microbial toxicity test, vibrio fischeri, bioluminescence, screening