Application of an Integrated Testing Strategy to the US EPA Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program

作者：Willett Catherine E^*; Bishop Patricia L; Sullivan Kristie M

来源：Toxicological Sciences, 2011, 123(1): 15-25.

DOI：10.1093/toxsci/kfr145

• endocrine testing
• alternative methods
• integrated testing strategy
• testing framework

New approaches to generating and evaluating toxicity data for chemicals are needed to cope with the ever-increasing demands of new programs. One such approach involves the use of an integrated testing and evaluation strategy based on the specific properties and activities of a chemical. Such an integrated strategy, whether applied to existing or future programs, can promote efficient use of resources and save animals. We demonstrate the utility of such a strategy by applying it to the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP). Launched in October 2009, the EDSP utilizes a two-tiered approach, whereby each tier requires a battery of animal-intensive and expensive tests. Tier 1 consists of five in vitro and six in vivo assays that are intended to determine a chemical's potential to interact with the estrogen (E), androgen (A), or thyroid (T) hormone pathways. Tier 2 is proposed to consist of multigenerational reproductive and developmental toxicity tests in several species and is intended to determine whether a chemical can cause adverse effects resulting from E, A, or T modulation. In contrast to the existing EDSP structure, we show, using the pesticide atrazine as an example, that a multilevel testing framework combined with an integrated evaluation process would significantly increase efficiency by minimizing testing.

• 出版日期2011-9