Non-invasive assessment for teratogenic-toxicity of environmental disrupters by structural- and cel lurar-biological methods

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To develope non-invasive and real-time assesment technique for teratogenic activity of environmental disruptors (Eds), so called environmental hormones, we made a novel appl ication for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) microscopy to quantitatively observe of malmorphogenecity in mammal ian embryos. By using the new structural-biological equipment, that is magnetic resonance (NMR)-imaging appliance, developmental disorder inmammaIianembryos induced byoral maternal-administration of some Eds was non-invasiveIy detected. This MRI methods with an enhanced spatial resolution due to the use of a high static magnetic field and high magnetic field gradients. The NMR appl iance is a useful tool for non-invasive, real-time and continuous examination of tissue and organs at the histological level (minimum 50 micron cubic). We demonstrated that many Eds induced widespread malformation in developing mammal ian embryos, and that two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional NMR micro-images demonstrated defects in skeleton and soft tissue similarly to conventional histopathological assessments. Although further improvements are required for rapid dynamic imaging of living embryos in the peritoneal cavity of mother with Eds administration, our NMR-imaging technique will provide new approach as for multi-parametric assessment of embryo development under both physiological and pathological conditions.