Distributor for Ames kits, umuC Easy kits, YES YAS and IN CYTOTOX product line of XENOMETRIX AG

Ames mutagenicity assays Ames II and Ames MPF

Both systems are established on 384 well plates

Benefits of both test systems are

• up to 10x reduced amounts of test compounds

• reduced hands on time

• reduced consumption of media and plastic ware 

The Ames MPF and Ames II assays are modified versions of the classical agar-plate Ames test using liquid culture. The assays are based on the fluctuation method cited in the OECD Guideline 471 but use 384-well microtiter plates and have a colorimetric read-out. The great advantage of this format is the lower amount of sample needed and much easier handling.

The Ames MPF Penta I assay uses S. typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535, TA1537 and E.coli strains (wp2 uvrA and wp2 [pKM101]); these are strains recommended in the actual OECD 471 guidelines. 

The Ames II assay differs from the Ames MPF assays in that it comprises TA98 and TAMix, consisting of 6 histidine-auxotrophic mutant Salmonella test strains, TA7001-TA7006. Each of these mutants can revert to wild type by a specific transition or transversion, so that all possible base-pair changes can be detected by TAMix. The TA700x test strains are not included in the recommended test strains of the current, formal OECD test guidelines.

Practical training and in-house testing of the Ames MPF and Ames II assays can be organized in the facilities of Xenometrix in Allschwil, Switzerland.

umuC Easy AQ and umuC Easy CS for rapid mutagenicity testing

The tests are compatible to ISO 13829 regulation; uses SOS response in bacteria for indication of DNA damage

DNA damage->SOS response  enhanced -> umuC increased

YES/YAS Endocrine Disruptor Kits

Background:

Concern has been raised in recent years regarding potential adverse effects of various environmental potential contaminants often called "endocrine disruptors".

Synthetic chemicals in the environment that are associated with adverse reproductive and developmental effects in wildlife mimic the actions of sex hormones.

Of major concern are such chemicals that are found in waste and surface waters, but also in certain industrial products such as plastic food containers.

Cytotoxicity assays are the animal-free test methods for evaluation of the toxic potential of substances in animals and man. Safety evaluation of compounds such as drugs, cosmetics, food additives, pesticides and industrial chemicals is increasing in numbers every year. The need for reliable, sensitive and quantitative assays enabling analysis of large numbers of compounds in preclinical research is therefore continuously rising.

IN CYTOTOX products offer a broad range of assays for the evaluation of cellular response to pharmaceutical or chemical compounds. They are based on well established, sensitive and reliable endpoints of cytotoxicity and growth inhibition and are adapted for high throughput in microtiter plates.

The multiple endpoint IN CYTOTOX test kits allow the determination of up to four parameters from a single cellular sample. For example membrane integrity, cellular metabolism, mitochondrial activity and total protein synthesis or cell proliferation can be assessed from the same cells. The optimization of the combined kits increases the chances to detect cytotoxic effects, the data correlation of the tests, and reduces the overall handling time and the amount of test compounds needed. It enables optimal use of rare and valuable cell samples such as primary cells. Multiple endpoint kits also give hints to mechanisms of toxicity.

 Available cytotoxicity test kits

• CVDE Crystal Violet Dye Elution

• GLU Glucose

• LDHE Extracellular Lactate Dehydrogenase

• MTT 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide

• NR Neutral Red

• PAC Acid Phosphatase

• SRB Sulforhodamine B

• XTT 2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-((phenylamino)carbonyl)-2H-        tetrazolium hydroxide

Combinations for multiplexing

• LDHe-GLU-XTT-PAC four parameter kit

• LDHe-GLU-XTT-SRB four parameter kit

• PANI: LDHe-XTT-NR-SRB four parameter kit