Abstract
Surface active agents (surfactants) were tested for hemolysis of rat erythrocytes and neutral red uptake using rabbit corneal cell (SIRC). The effects of hemolysis were manifested as the concentration of surfactants at 50% hemolysis of erythrocytes (HC-50 values). The effects of NR-uptake were manifested as the concentration of surfactants at 50% NR-uptake compared with untreated controls (NR-50 values). These results were compared with in vivo eye irritation score of surfactants obtained by Draize test.
Good correlations were seen between these inverse numbers of two results (HC-50 values and NR-50 values) and the Draize scores. The results suggest that both the hemolysis assay and the neutral red assay may be useful as an alternative to the Draize test as an in vitro method for detecting eye irritation.
