Cellular targets in response to dioxin exposure
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 26, 2026

A Murine Pancreatic Islet Cell-based Screening for Diabetogenic Environmental Chemicals
Published on: June 25, 2018
N Dell'Orto1, D Cantelli, C Urani
1Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Ambiente e del Territorio, Università di Milano.
Abstract:
Dioxins are contaminants present in a variety of environmental media. The 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is biologically reactive at very low concentrations. This research is based on the use of innovative bioindicators able to evidence the exposure to TCDD by evaluating the biological effects on the embryonic development of the amphibious Xenopus laevis. TCDD exposure effects analyzed found that an Lc 50 value of 342 ng/l, TCDD concentrations up to 400 ng/l caused significative developmental delays. No significative teratogenic effects were found. X. laevis proved to be sensitive to the P-450 induction and alteration of glutathione levels at TCDD low doses (0.1-0.5 ng/l).
Related Concept Videos
Cellular Injury I: Introduction
Signal Transduction: Overview
Typically, signal transduction involves three...
Target Cell Response to Hormones
Notably, the cellular response can be regulated by altering the number of receptors expressed in the cell. For example, prolonged exposure to elevated hormone levels results in a gradual decline or down-regulation in the number of receptors for that specific hormone on the cell surface. Conversely, in response to low hormone levels, cells may use up-regulation, producing an...
Diversity in Cell Signaling Responses
Graded and Abrupt Responses
Some signaling systems generate...
