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 1991-1992

Toxic Responses in Cultured Human and Rat Nasal Epithelial Cells

Pamela Moore Mattes, PhD
University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut

The "scrubbing" of inhaled vapors in the nasal passages is a well-recognized defense mechanism protecting the lungs from potential toxic effects of inhaled vapors. However, little is known about the intrinsic properties of hazards in humans. Dr. Mattes is studying toxic responses of rat and human nasal cells in situ and in vitro. Comparisons will provide information on how to extrapolate appropriately in vitro data to the in vivo setting, and rodent data to human data. The proposed experiments may serve to validate the use of in vitro culture systems for evaluation of nasal toxic hazards.