In the first of three sections of this book, an overview of in vitro toxicology is provided. The molecular biology of cellular toxicity, receptor-mediated mechanisms, structure-activity relationships, pharmacokinetic modeling, and the use of biosensors in toxicological studies are treated in detail. The second section covers some of the very important aspects that allow the analysis of the mechanisms of toxicity, e.g. intercellular communication and signal processing, the cytoskeleton, apoptosis, and free radical mediated toxicity. The last section presents in vitro studies on hepatotoxicity, dermal toxicity, immunotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and respiratory toxicity.

Inhalt
Modern Methods in Toxicology.- Modulation of Cellular Responses in Toxicity.- Molecular Biology Approaches to Cell Toxicology.- Receptor Mediated Toxicity: the Dioxin Receptor as an Example of Biological Complexity and Experimental Approaches.- Perspectives on the Use of Structure-Activity Expert Systems in Toxicology.- Structural Features Contributing to Biodegradability.- Pharmacokinetic Considerations in the Toxicologic Evaluation of Xenobiotics.- Biosensors in Pharmacology and Toxicology in Vitro.- Milestones in Cell Toxicology.- Networks of Intercellular Communication: Eicosanoids and Cytokines as Mediators of the Response of Skin to Toxicity.- The Network of Intracellular Signal Processing as a Main Site of Cellular Responses in Toxicity.- Actin Involvement in Cell Toxicity.- Cell Death by Apoptosis: Morphological, Genetic and Biochemical Features and Toxicological Implications.- Free Radical Mediated Toxicity of Drugs of Abuse.- Target Organ Toxicity.- Alternatives in Testing for Hepatotoxicity.- In Vitro Skin Irritation Assays: Relevance to Human Skin.- In Vitro Responses to Immunotoxicants.- Nephrotoxicity.- Neurotoxicity in Vitro - Cultured Neuronal Cell Lines and Electrophysiological Approach.- In Vitro Toxicology of the Respiratory System.