Relative Test Sensitivity

Published data have shown MitoScan to be more sensitive to select groups of chemical compounds than whole organism tests such as Microtox or fish. MitoScan was 10-fold more sensitive to Nabam, more than 5-fold more sensitive to 2,4-dinitrophenol, and nearly 80-fold more sensitive to cadmium than Microtox. MitoScan was 2- to 3-fold more sensitive to cyanide, pentachlorophenol, and 2,4-dinitrophenol than fish in 96-hour tests. In other instances, Microtox and fish were more sensitive than MitoScan. These data demonstrate the importance of diversifying biomonitoring efforts through the use of multiple tests. Similar comparisons can be drawn between MitoScan and cell line tests used to predict mammalian toxicity levels.