A RAPID CELL-CULTURE TECHNIQUE FOR ASSESSING THE TOXICITY OF DETERGENT-BASED PRODUCTS INVITRO AS A POSSIBLE SCREEN FOR EYE IRRITANCY INVIVO

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 36  (143-) , 153-159
Abstract
It is generally accepted that the Draize rabbit eye irritation test has several disadvantages and inadequacies when used as an indicator for potential irritancy of detergent-based commercial products. In the search for a possible in vitro screen, it was decided to use mouse fibroblast LS cells in suspension, taking 50% cell death (CD50) after exposure to the product for 4 h as the endpoint. This result for 11 samples was compared with rabbit eye irritation data ranked on an arbitrary classification of mild, moderate and severe. All samples with a CD50 < 0.5 mg/ml were severe eye irritants while, with 1 exception, all those with a CD50 > 1.0 mg/ml were mild irritants. Samples between these 2 cytotoxicity levels were moderately irritant to the rabbit eye. The in vitro test was a possible screen for the irritancy of detergent-based products.