New developments in flow cytometry are now being applied in toxicology studies. There are several reasons for using this technology. First, techniques are well characterized to measure functional parameters of single cells. Such measurements can be directly related to perturbations by xenobiotics, cell-mediated immune responses, or trauma. Second, there is a clear indication for movement toward in vitro systems as highly objective assessments of toxicologic interactions. By measuring specific cell functions at the single cell level, it is possible to define a range of normal responses. More importantly, a multiparametric analysis can be performed with flow cytometry and parameters can be directly related to one another. Furthermore, kinetic measurements can be made, providing vital clues to the mechanisms of actions of drugs or chemicals on functions of specific cell populations. Major advantages of this approach are that studies can be performed on very small volumes of blood, body fluid, or cell culture lines and it is not necessary to isolate pure populations of cells to perform these assays. We believe that this alternative approach in toxicology will provide valuable information unobtainable by traditional means.
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