Inhibition of pinocytosis in rat yolk sac by trypan blue

Day 17.5 yolk sacs from rats injected with partially denatured 125I-labeled bovine serum albumin (I-BSA) were cultured in vitro by a raft technique. The rates of release of [125I]iodotyrosine were similar in control yolk sacs and in yolk sacs from rats preinjected with trypan blue. Day 17.5 rat yolk sacs were also cultured in medium containing I-BSA. Following pinocytic uptake the substrate was degraded intracellularly and [135I]iodotyrosine released into the medium. Trypan blue, when present in the medium in concentrations above 100 mug/ml, inhibited pinocytosis of I-BSA and so decreased the rate of [125I]iodotyrosine production. Trypan blue similarly decreased the rate of pinocytic uptake of 125I-labeled polyvinylpyrrolidone. Pinocytic uptake of macromolecules was not decreased in yolk sacs from rats pretreated with trypan blue. The relevance of these results to the mechanism of teratogenic action of trypan blue is discussed. It is proposed that if trypan blue in teratogenic doses similarly inhibits pinocytosis by the yolk sac during the organogenetic period teratogenesis might result from a transient interruption in the flow of metabolites through the yolk sac to the embryo.