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Cytotoxicity testing is a crucial process in assessing the safety of substances by measuring their potential to cause cell damage or death. This testing is fundamental in drug development, chemical safety evaluation, and regulatory compliance to ensure products are non-toxic to humans and the environment.
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In vitro assays are laboratory techniques used to study biological processes outside of living organisms, providing controlled environments to test cellular, biochemical, or molecular functions. These assays are crucial for early-stage drug discovery, toxicity testing, and understanding disease mechanisms, offering insights that guide in vivo studies and clinical trials.
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Cell viability refers to the ability of cells to survive and maintain their functions under specific conditions. It is a crucial parameter in various biological and medical research fields, influencing the assessment of cell health, cytotoxicity, and the effectiveness of therapeutic agents.
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IC50 is a quantitative measure that indicates how much of a particular inhibitory substance is needed to inhibit a given biological process or biological component by 50%. It is a crucial parameter in pharmacology and biochemistry for assessing the potency of an inhibitor, with lower IC50 values indicating higher potency.
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The MTT assay is a colorimetric assay for assessing cell metabolic activity and is widely used to measure cell proliferation and cytotoxicity. It relies on the reduction of MTT by mitochondrial dehydrogenase in living cells to form an insoluble formazan product, which can be solubilized and quantified spectrophotometrically.
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The LDH release assay is a cytotoxicity assay used to measure cell membrane integrity by quantifying lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released into the culture medium from damaged cells. It is a sensitive and rapid method for assessing cell death or damage in response to various treatments or conditions in vitro.
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Apoptosis is a programmed cell death process that is crucial for maintaining tissue homeostasis and eliminating damaged or unnecessary cells. It involves a series of biochemical events leading to characteristic cell changes and death, which is essential for development and immune system function.
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Necrosis is the premature death of cells in living tissue caused by external factors such as trauma, infection, or toxins, resulting in unregulated digestion of cell components. Unlike apoptosis, necrosis often triggers an inflammatory response due to the release of intracellular contents into the surrounding tissue.
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The dose-response relationship is a fundamental principle in pharmacology and toxicology that describes the change in effect on an organism caused by differing levels of exposure to a substance. It is crucial for determining the optimal dose required to achieve desired therapeutic effects while minimizing adverse effects.
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Toxicokinetics is the study of how a substance enters, moves through, and exits the body, focusing on absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) processes that determine the substance's effect. It is crucial for understanding the potential risks and safe levels of exposure to chemicals and drugs in both humans and animals.
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Regulatory toxicology is the scientific discipline focused on evaluating the safety and potential risks of chemicals and substances to ensure they meet legal standards for human health and environmental protection. It involves rigorous testing, data analysis, and risk assessment to inform regulatory decisions and policy-making by governmental and international agencies.
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Resazurin reduction is a colorimetric assay used to measure cell viability, metabolic activity, and cytotoxicity based on the conversion of resazurin to resorufin by viable cells. The change from blue to pink indicates a reduction process, which correlates with the number of metabolically active cells present in the sample.
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The Trypan Blue Exclusion Test is a method used to assess cell viability by distinguishing between live and dead cells based on membrane integrity. Live cells exclude the dye, remaining unstained, while dead cells take up the dye and appear blue under a microscope.
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