MEDIUM-TERM LIVER BIOASSAY FOR RAPID DETECTION OF CARCINOGENS

The vast number of compounds which have been introduced into our environment in recent years is far beyond our capacity to assess for carcinogenicity using expensive, life-time carcinogenicity studies in rodents. Several in vitro short term assays which are very rapid and inexpensive have therefore been applied as mass screening methods. However, increasing evidence has indicated that mutagenicity results do not always correlate with long-term carcinogenicity. Therefore, the existence of discrepancies dictates the necessity of suitable in vivo rapid assay systems which could bridge the gap between mutagenicity and conventional long-term testing.