ATLA::Alternatives to Laboratory Animals

Volume 24, Number 3

Fluorescent probes as tools in in vitro toxicology.

ATLA 24, 423-428, May/June 1996

Henrik Lilius and Boris Isomaa

Department of Biology, Åbo Akademi University, BioCity, Artillerigatan 6, 20520 Turku/Åbo, Finland

SUMMARY

A number of different endpoints reflecting cell viability are commonly used to assess cytotoxicity. These endpoints are then taken to reflect cell death. It is not possible to elucidate the basis of the toxic mechanisms involved in these tests. However, by using a number of different endpoints to monitor different cellular events, the information that can be obtained from in vitro toxicity tests could be increased. Fluorescent probes appear to be promising alternatives for assessing cytotoxicity and such probes are available for a number of different cellular events. In addition to viability more-specific cellular events can be monitored, including intracellular glutathione levels, miitochondrial membrane potentials and intracellular concentrations of various ions. The possibility of using several fluorescent probes simultaneously, and hence of making measurements of several different cellular events at the same time, further increases the usefulness of fluorescent probes.

Keywords: fluorescent probes, in vitro endpoints, probe combinations, cytotoxicity