Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay-Xenopus: A Nonmammalian Method for DevelopmentalToxicity Assessment

摘要

The frog embryo teratogenesis assay-Xenopus (FETAX) is a 96-hr, whole- embryo,nonmammalian developmental toxicity screening test that utilizes the embryos of the South African clawed frog Xenopus laevis. FETAX was first developed and standardized as a definitive assay for developmental toxicants by Dr. James Dumont and his co-workers 1 at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1983. The assay originally was developed to assess the potential developmental toxicity of complex mixtures derived from the synthetic fuels program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The assay is based on a large body of information generated by various researchers in studies on normal embryonic development in which the developing xenopus embryo was used as the model system. The assay, as it is currently performed, is useful in screening for the potential developmental toxicity of both single chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals or commodity chemicals, and complex chemical mixtures, such as environmental samples.