Evaluation of a mitochondrial test for the determination of chemical toxicity

The feasibility of using rat liver mitochondria respiratory parameters as a short-term toxicity test was investigated. Mitochondrial fractions were exposed to six concentrations of five chlorophenols. Respiratory parameters were measured and compared to control experiments. The toxicity of the chlorophenos, measured by the 50% uncoupling concentration (UC50), increased with increasing chloro substitution. The UC50 values for the five chlorophenols were compared to six physicochemical parameters for the same chlorophenols and high degrees of correlation were found (r >/- 0.890). The highest correlation coefficient obtained was with the octanol-water partition coefficient. UC50 values were also compared to nine currently existing short-term toxicity tests. High degrees of correlation were obtained with several of these tests, including bacterial and fish bioassays. From the results of these experiments, the measurement and use of mitochondria respiratory parameters as a short-term toxicity test appears to offer an alternative to currently used short-term toxicity tests, particularly with chemicals having physicochemical characteristics similar to mitochondria uncouplers.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Environmental Sciences and Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Environmental Sciences and Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1988

Author dc:creator

• Shannon, Robert David

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Boardman, Gregory D.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Hoehn, Robert C.
• Bevan, David R.
• Dietrich, Andrea M.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-06102012-040255

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/43054