A NEW SENSITIVE CELL-CULTURE TEST FOR TEE ASSESSMENT OF PESTICIDE TOXICITY

A new, simple and sensitive cell culture test for the determination of cytotoxicity of pesticides is described. This test is based on assess ment of the growth inhibitory effect of pesticides on the rapidly grow ing mouse hybridoma cell line 1E6 cultivated in a defined serum-free m edium (RPMI-SR3). In addition the cytotoxicity in serum-containing med ium was investigated. The results showed that the sensitivity of 1E6 c ells towards the toxicity of the pesticides; carbofuran, cypermethrin, lindane, glyphosate and 2,4-D was considerably higher in the serum-fr ee medium than in serum-containing medium. Also, IC50 values of these pesticides were compared with LD50 values obtained from the literature . The ratio between the ill vitro IC50 and the in vivo LD50 showed tha t the present cell culture test determine the toxicity of low levels o f pesticides with much higher sensitivity than tests based on using an imals.