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Evaluation of In Vitro Cytotoxicity Test Methods

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Overview and Agency Responses

References Workshop Report and
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Overview and Agency Responses

International initiatives to use in vitro cytotoxicity test methods to reduce animal use in acute toxicity testing were evaluated at the International Workshop on In Vitro Methods for Assessing Acute Systemic Toxicity in October 2000. Pursuant to this workshop, ICCVAM recommended further evaluation of the use of in vitro cytotoxicity data as one of the approaches that could be used to estimate the starting doses for rodent acute oral toxicity studies. To assist in the adoption and implementation of this approach, the Guidance Document on Using In Vitro Data to Estimate In Vivo Starting Doses for Acute Toxicity was prepared by ICCVAM with the assistance of the workshop participants. ICCVAM recommended that near-term validation studies should focus on two standard basal cytotoxicity assays: one using a human cell system and one using a rodent cell system. ICCVAM also recommended that long-term research focus on the development of in vitro test methods to assess biokinetics, metabolism, and organ-specific toxicity so as to improve in vitro predictions of acute oral toxicity.

NICEATM and the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) subsequently designed a validation study to evaluate the usefulness of two in vitro basal cytotoxicity test methods (one using a rodent cell type and the other using a human cell type) using a neutral red uptake endpoint for predicting starting doses for acute oral toxicity tests.

ICCVAM Test Method Recommendations on Acute Systemic Toxicity

  • ICCVAM Test Method Recommendations: Appendix I of Workshop Report
    • View complete Workshop Report (NIH 01-4499 - August 2001) [PDF - HTML]

  • Transmittal Letter on Acute Systemic Toxicity from Dr. Kenneth Olden to the Agency Heads (March 21, 2003) [PDF]

  • Agency Responses:

    • Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
      • Response from Henry Falk, Assistant Administrator (August 25, 2003) [PDF]

    • Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC)

    • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
      • Response from Joseph Merenda, Director, Office of Science Coordination and Policy (December 2, 2003) [PDF]

    • Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
      • Response from Mark McClellan, Commissioner of Food and Drugs (September 9, 2003) [PDF]

    • National Cancer Institute (NCI)
      • Response from Andrew von Eschenbach, Director (August 25, 2003) [PDF]

    • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
      • Letter from Dr. Olden to the NIEHS Record (September 9, 2003) [PDF]

    • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
      • Response from Elias Zerhouni, Director (September 5, 2003) [PDF]

    • National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
      • Response from John Howard, Director (September 30, 2003) [PDF]

    • National Library of Medicine (NLM)
      • Response from Donald Lindberg, Director (August 8, 2003) [PDF]

    • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
      • Response from John Henshaw, Office of the Assistant Secretary [PDF]

    • U.S. Department of Agriculture
      • Response from Bobby Acord, Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (September 22, 2003) [PDF]

    • U.S. Department of Defense
      • Response from Charles Holland, Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Science and Technology (September 30, 2003) [PDF]

    • U.S. Department of Energy
      • Response from Marvin Frazier, Director, Life Sciences Division (September 24, 2003) [PDF]

    • U.S. Department of the Interior
      • Response from Charles Groat, Director, U.S. Geological Survey (August 27, 2003) [PDF]

    • U.S. Department of Transportation
      • Response from Samuel Bonasso, Acting Director, Research and Special Programs Administration (May 7, 2003) [PDF]
      • Reference: United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals - Report Of The Secretary-General (E/2003/46) [ Definition of LD50 for acute oral toxicity to be amended in 13th Revised Edition]
        Definition located in Chapter 2.6, Section 2.6.2.1.1, on Page 14.

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