Tuesday, 23 August 2011 20:56

Lung Model for Testing of Gases Prevalidated Featured

A lung model based on human lung cells and using the Air Liquid Interface (ALI) technique has been tested independently in four German test laboratories. They achieved good and reproducible results which is a first step towards the development of an in vitro replacement method for testing the cytotoxic effects of gases.

In a cooperative project coordinated by the German Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Hannover, in which the Helmholtz Centre of Environmental Research in Leipzig, the Federal Institute of Risk Assessment (BfR/ZEBET) in Berlin and the Federal Institute of Occupational Safety (BAuA), Berlin, were involved, four test laboratories were employed to test the reliability of a lung model in a pre-validation study.

For this purpose human lung cells (line A549) were exposed to four gases. The lung cells had been cultivated on membranes on the interface between air and liquid (Air Liquid Interface (ALI)). After one hour of exposure the cytotoxic effects were determined by a lining cell measurement. The genotoxic effect was determined using the Comet Assay (gel electrophoresis for testing the DNA damage of single cells).

In a pre-validation report from BAuA, the four independent test laboratories could show a close connection between the laboratories´results and the results previously obtained from animal experiments. The development of such a lung model could reduce the number of animal experiments in the field of inhalation toxicology. Until now, four gases have been tested (nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone and formaldehyde). Test extension of the test to five other gases is planned. After this the formal validation phase will be initiated.

Source: http://www.baua.de/

Literature: Gunter Linsel, Mario Bauer, Edith Berger-Preiß, Carolin Gräbsch, Heiko Kock, Manfred Liebsch, Ralph Pirow, Detlef Ritter, Lena Smirnova, Jan Knebel (2011): Prävalidierungsstudie zur Prüfung der toxischen Wirkung von inhalativ wirksamen Stoffen (Gase). Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin. 43 Seiten, PDF-Datei (5 MB).
http://www.baua.de/de/Publikationen/Fachbeitraege/F1835.html