THE ROLLER TUBE TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIC IN THE EVALUATION OF THE PRIMARY IRRITANCY PRODUCING CAPACITY OF TOPICAL MEDICAMENTS AND CHEMICALS

[摘要] The comparative toxic effects of 20 compounds, including chemicals, antibiotics, antihistamines, local anesthetics, and antiseptics for human skin, cultivated with the roller tube tissue culture technique reported. Various types of toxic effects of the test compounds on human epidermal cells are described. There was a very wide range in toxicity of these 20 compounds tested; the most toxic ones, mercuric bichloride and potassium dichromate, produced complete injury of epidermal cells in a concentration of 50 [mu]/ml, whereas the growing epithelium tolerated neomycin in a concentration as high as 20,000 [mu] for 42 hours without evidence of injury. Correlation between the in vitro and the in vivo effects of test compounds when applied on the skin and mucous membrane is discussed. Advantages and limitations of the presented method are considered. This approach is proposed as a desirable laboratory procedure for preclinical evaluation of the primary irritant effects of new topical therapeutic agents as well as for the determination of potential toxicity of chemicals used in industry.