ALTEX :: Alternatives to Animal Experiments

1995, Volume 4

The Isolated Perfused Bovine Udder Skin (BUS) Model: An Integrated In Vitro Model for the Assessment of Skin Penetration and Irritation

Wolfgang Pittermann¹, Manfred Kietzmann² and Bettina Jackwerth¹

¹Henkel KGaA - D-Düsseldorf; ²Institut für Pharmakologie, Pharmazie und Toxikologie, Veterinärmedizinische Fakultät, Universität D-Leipzig

SUMMARY

The isolated perfused Bovine Udder Skin (BUS) model from slaughter house material is an ex vivo skin model that can easily be maintained in culture at high vitality at least for 8 hours. The BUS model allows to study skin penetration and absorption as well as skin irritation almost under in vivo conditions. Moreover, the skin of the bovine udder is morphologically resembling human skin to a higher extent than the skin of rodents. Pharmacological and toxicological studies on raw materials and formulated products of interest to cosmetics and skin products industry reveal a high correlation to data obtained in humans. Therefore, the BUS model holds great promise since it allows to reduce the number of test animals in skin pharmacology and toxicology, since it provides information which cannot be obtained in other in vitro models and not even in human studies, e.g. pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism.

Keywords: Bovine Udder Skin model, in vitro testing, alternative method, skin irritation, skin penetration, skin absorption, dermatology, pharmacology, cosmetic, vitamin A, Vitamin E, beta methason, sodium lauryl sulfate