Journal of Clinical Toxicology
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0495
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2161-0495
+44 1478 350008
Claude Lambert
CNRS, France
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Clin Toxicol
What is the best way to analyze toxicity in human? Human cells provide closest tools to analyze toxicity in human at low cost, low ethical issue and cytometry is the ideal tool for this. What is cytometry? Cytometry includes several techniques that measure quantitatively cells, individually and on multiple parameters simultaneously. Image cytometry gives precise location of cellular targets. Flow-cytometry (FCM) is the most useful, high content, high performance, high speed technique giving direct information on cell status and at relatively low cost for clinical or preclinical screening applications. High throughput analysis is possible for large scale screening. Recent disrupting innovation has combined FCM with image (Imagestream�) or mass spectrometry that is a bit less sensitive but gives the possibility to analyses much more parameters simultaneously. FCM is particularly adapted for blood samples and any biological fluids (broncho-alveolar lavage, bone marrow, stem cells) but can also be used in dissociated tissues or their representative cell lines. Other types of cells can also be analyzed from animals, vegetal, algaes and even bacteria. Applications in toxicology: FCM is routinely used for precise counting and eventually measuring maturation break or lineage specific damages of immune and hematopoietic cells in drug development and clinical research such as biotherapy. Cell damages and eventual repair cell death, apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy can be identified under experimental or accidental exposure. But FCM can also help identifying the mechanism involved in toxic effect by analyzing the some basic cell functions such as mitochondrial respiratory chain, production of oxygen or nitrogen free radicals, lysosome activity, fatty acid metabolism and peroxysome, signaling, caspases, calcium influx, or cytokine profiles. Typical examples are shown. Quality assurance procedures have been developed. In conclusion, flow cytometry is a precious technique that can help in toxicology addressing specific or global cell effects in high scientific/economic efficiency.