Abstract. Rhizoma Atractylodes macrocephala, RadixIsatidis, Coptis chinensis and Flos Genkwa are common herbal remedies used by pregnant woman in China. In this study, their potential embryotoxicity was assessed using the embryonic stem cell test (EST) and a prediction model. The potential embryotoxicity of the herbs was based on three endpoints: the concentrations of the compounds that inhibited the proliferation of 50% of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) (IC 50 ES), the concentrations that inhibited 50% of 3T3 cells (IC 50 3T3), and the concentrations that inhibited the differentiation of 50% of ESCs (ID 50 ES). The results revealed that Rhizoma Atractylodes macrocephala and Radix Isatidis are non-embryotoxic compounds. Coptis chinensis extracts appeared to demonstrated weak embryotoxicity, and Flos Genkwa exhibited strong embryotoxicity. These results may be useful in guiding the clinical use of these herbs and in expanding the application of the EST to the field of traditional Chinese medicine.

Purpose: To determine whether epidermal growth factor (EGF) is involved in reproductive developmental toxicity, using the embryonic stem cell test (EST), as well as ascertain how EGF influences embryonic development. Methods: To predict developmental toxicity on the basis of reducing cell viability and inhibition of differentiation of embryonic stem cells, EST was used to assess changes in different blastodermic genes and expression of proteins including ectodermal-specific genes Pax6, NF-H and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), mesodermal-specific genes BMP4, GATA4, and MyoD, viz, transthyretin (TTR)

Purpose: To determine the potential embryotoxicity of Radix scutellariae (RS) extract using an embryonic stem cell test (EST) and to evaluate its effect on the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Methods: All the test samples were obtained by water extraction method. The embryotoxicity of RS was assessed with cytotoxicity assays, namely, embryonic stem (ES) cells (IC50ES) and 3T3 fibroblasts (IC503T3), as well as cardiac differentiation inhibition assay (ID50ES). The expression of specific genes and proteins was analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription -polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR