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The assessment of teratogenic effects of chemicals is generally performed using in vivo teratogenicity assays, for example, in rats or rabbits. We have developed an in vitro teratogenicity assay using the zebrafish Danio rerio embryo combined with an exogenous mammalian metabolic activation system (MAS), able to biotransform proteratogenic compounds. Cyclophosphamide (CPA) and ethanol were used as proteratogens to test the efficiency of this assay. Briefly, the zebrafish embryos were cocultured at 2 hpf (hours postfertilization) with the test material at varying concentrations, induced male rat liver microsomes and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (reduced) for 60 min at 32 degrees C under moderate agitation in Tris-buffer. The negative control (test material alone) and the MAS control (MAS alone) were incubated in parallel. For each test group, 20 eggs were used for statistical robustness. Afterward fish embryos were transferred individually into 24-well plates filled with fish medium for 48 h at 26 degrees C with a 12-h light cycle. Teratogenicity was scored after 24 and 48 hpf using morphological endpoints. No teratogenic effects were observed in fish embryos exposed to the proteratogens alone, that is, without metabolic activation. In contrast, CPA and ethanol induced abnormalities in fish embryos when coincubated with microsomes. The severity of malformations increased with increasing concentrations of the proteratogens. We conclude that the application of microsomes will improve and refine the D. rerio teratogenicity assay as a predictive and valuable alternative method to screen teratogenic substances.

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