ATLA::Alternatives to Laboratory Animals

Volume 26, Number 6

Report on the COLIPA workshop on mechanisms of eye irritation.

ATLA 26, 811-820, November/December 1998

Leon H. Bruner,² Odile De Silva, ³Lesley K. Earl,⁴ David L. Easty,⁵ Wolfgang Pape⁶ and Horst Spielmann⁷

²The Procter & Gamble Company Corporate P&RS Global, Lovett House, Lovett Road, Staines, Middlesex TW18 3AZ, UK; ³L'Oreal, 2 Avenue Eugene Shueller, 93600 Aulnay sous Bois, France; ⁴Unilever Research Environmental Safety Laboratory, Colworth House, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire MK44 1LQ, UK; ⁵Division of Ophthalmology, Bristol Eye Hospital, Lower Maudlin Street, Bristol BS1 2LX, UK; ⁶Beiersdorf AG, 4284 Safety Assessment Center, Unnastrasse 48, 20245 Hamburg, Germany; ⁷ZEBET, BgVV, Diedersdorfer Weg 1, 12277 Berlin, Germany

SUMMARY

This report summarises the discussions of a workshop sponsored by the European Cosmetics, Toiletries and Perfumery Association (COLIPA). The workshop discussed the state-of-the-art of eye irritancy testing, and made recommendations as to the best ways in which to validate alternatives to the Draize eye irritation test. The importance of understanding the mechanisms of eye irritation, particularly when attempting to improve in vitro prediction of in vivo eye irritancy, was also emphasised.

Keywords: COLIPA, eye irritancy, Draize test, alternatives, workshop

¹Prepared on behalf of the COLIPA Task Force on Eye Irritation, COLIPA, 5-7 Rue du Congrés, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.