Test No. 241: The Larval Amphibian Growth and Development Assay (LAGDA)

The test guideline of the Larval Amphibian Growth and Development Assay (LAGDA) describes a toxicity test with an amphibian species (African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis)) that considers growth and development from fertilization through the early juvenile period.  It is an assay (typically 16 weeks) that assesses early development, metamorphosis, survival, growth, and partial reproductive maturation. It also enables measurement of a suite of other endpoints that allows for diagnostic evaluation of suspected endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) or other types of developmental and reproductive toxicants. The LAGDA serves as a higher tier test with an amphibian for collecting more comprehensive concentration-response information on adverse effects suitable for use in hazard identification and characterization, and in ecological risk assessment. The general experimental design entails exposing X. laevis embryos at Nieuwkoop and Faber (NF) stage 8-10 (3) to a minimum of four different concentrations of test chemical and control(s) until 10 weeks after the median time to NF stage 62.  There are four replicates in each test concentration with eight replicates for the control. Endpoints evaluated during the course of the exposure (at the interim sub-sample and final sample at completion of the test) include those indicative of generalized toxicity: mortality, abnormal behaviour, and growth determinations (length and weight), as well as endpoints designed to characterize specific endocrine toxicity modes of action targeting oestrogen, androgen or thyroid-mediated physiological processes.