An Attempt to in Vitro Embryotoxicity Test using Mouse ES Cells and Human Hepatocytes

Abstract

On evaluating the effects of dental biomaterials on embryotoxicity in humans, the effects of human metabolic activation factors cannot be ignored. However, the routine the Embryonic Stem Cell Test (EST) method does not reflect the effects of metabolic activation in humans, because of the use of mouse ES-D3 cells. Thus, a TEST LIVER^TM-human (Toyobo, Osaka) culture with teratogenic thalidomide was exposed to mouse ES-D3 cells to evaluate cell differentiation of contracting myocardial cells. Also, standard reagents for atomic absorption spectroscopy, i.e., component elements of dental alloys (Ag, Cu, Pd, Sn and Zn), were used. As a result, thalidomide, Ag, and Sb significantly reduced the contraction rate compared with the control group. A preliminary culture using TEST LIVER^TM-human is likely to facilitate evaluation of the effects of human metabolism in mouse ES cells.