The Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing is an academic center affiliated with the Division of Toxicological Sciences in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

 

Johns Hopkins School of Public Health

Research Grants 1983-1984

An In Vitro Test for Irritancy of Chemicals Using Human Leukocytes

David A. Levy, MD
The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland

Problem

Inflammation is the reaction of the microcirculatory, hematologic and connective tissues to injury. It is a complex process, frequently initiated by the release of histamine from tissue mast cells. Histamine release from normal human leukocytes in vitro has been used as a model for certain types of inflammation. In this project, histamine release from leukocytes will be used to study the toxic potential of various substances known to induce inflammation of the eye. Potency will be assessed with does response data. The mechanism by which thet act will be studied by examining the kinetics of histamine release and the action of inhibitors. Comparisons between different leukocyte donors will be made.

Impact of the Research

By comparing these data with the available knowledge of the effects of irritants on the eye, it should be possible to determine whether this system might be a suitable alternative to the Draize test.