Current European legislation for the registration and authorisation of chemicals (REACH) will require a dramatic increase in the use of animals for reproductive toxicity testing. Since one objective of REACH is to use vertebrates only as last resort, the development and validation of alternative methods is urgently needed. For this purpose ReProTect, an integrated research project funded by the European Union, joining together 32 partners with complementary expertise in the area of reproductive toxicology was created. The presented study will describe a battery of two tests that have been developed within ReProTect. The objectives of these tests are the detection of chemical effects on the bovine oocyte, during the processes of maturation and fertilisation. The protocols have been optimised and 15 selected chemicals were tested allowing the assessment of the intra-laboratory variability, the definition of a preliminary prediction model and the identification of the most predictive endpoint of the fertilisation test. After successful validation these tests should be part of an integrated testing strategy that combines the bovine model with additional in vitro tests that are able to detect effects on steroidogenesis, folliculogenesis and male fertility in order to predict chemical hazards on mammalian fertility.

LAZZARI Giovanna;  TESSARO Irene;  CROTI Gabriella;  GALLI Cesare;  HOFFMANN Sebastian;  BREMER Susanne;  PELLIZZER Cristian; 

2008-12-15

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

JRC43929

0041-008X,   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC43929,   

10.1016/j.taap.2008.08.019,