Irritation and sensitization testing is a test method used to evaluate and determine whether a material, chemical, or product is irritating and sensitizing. The purpose of these trials is to protect human health and safety, provide relevant information about the product, and guide the design and use of the product. Common methods and evaluation criteria for stimulation and sensitization tests will be described here.
1. Stimulation test.
A stimulus test is an assessment of whether a substance is irritating by exposing it to humans or animals** and eyes. Common stimulation tests include the **stimulation test and the eye irritation test.
1.*Stimulation test.
*Stimulation tests are designed to assess the irritation of external substances to humans or animals**. Rabbits or mice** are generally used for testing, and standard stimulation tests are used to determine the irritation of the substance.
Commonly used stimulation test methods include the Draize method and the OECD 404 method. The draize method is a commonly used test method for determining irritation, which is determined by exposing the substance to the rabbit and observing and evaluating the degree of response at different time points. The OECD 404 method is an alternative testing method that reduces the number of animals used and improves testing efficiency and reproducibility by using in vitro recombinant human** models to replace live animals.
2.Eye irritation test.
The eye irritation test is used to evaluate the irritation of a substance to the eye. Common ocular irritation tests include the Draize method and the BCOP method.
The draize method is a commonly used test method to assess ocular irritation by dropping a substance into the rabbit's eye. The irritation of the substance is determined by observing and assessing the degree of response at different time points. The BCOP method is an alternative assay that reduces the number of animals used and improves the efficiency and reproducibility of the test by using a cell culture model to replace live animals for ocular stimulation testing.
2. Sensitization test.
Sensitization testing is the assessment of whether a substance is allergenic, i.e., the ability to cause an allergic reaction of the body's or animal's immune system to a substance. Common sensitization tests include **sensitization tests and respiratory sensitization tests.
1.*Sensitization test.
*Sensitization tests assess the sensitization of substances by eliciting an immune response by exposing them to humans or animals**. Commonly used sensitization test methods include the Buehler method and the GPMT method.
The Buehler method is a commonly used test method to determine the sensitization of a substance by exposing it to animals** and observing and assessing the degree of reaction at different time points. The GPMT method is to determine sensitization by using specific substances for induction and challenge phase treatment, observing and assessing the degree of response of the animal**.
2.Respiratory sensitization test.
Respiratory sensitization tests assess the sensitization of a substance by its entry into the respiratory tract and its elicitation of an immune response. This test is commonly used to assess the irritation and sensitization of the respiratory tract by chemicals in the air. Commonly used respiratory sensitization test methods include the GA particle test and the particulate matter induced asthma test.
Evaluation criteria: The evaluation criteria for stimulation and sensitization tests are mainly based on the characteristics of different test methods and different substances. Common evaluation criteria include irritation score, redness and swelling, eye irritation response, etc.
For the stimulation test, the stimulation can generally be evaluated by the stimulation degree score, which is scored according to the degree of stimulation at the time of contact, and is generally divided into no stimulation, mild stimulation, moderate stimulation and severe stimulation.
For sensitization tests, sensitization can generally be evaluated by the degree of irritation or injury, including the degree of redness and swelling, the degree of breakage, etc.
In addition to the subjective evaluation criteria mentioned above, objective evaluation criteria can also be used, such as measuring the degree of tissue damage to ** or the eye by the irritant substance, and the degree of stimulation can be assessed by quantitative analysis.
Conclusion: Stimulation and sensitization test is an important means to evaluate the irritation and sensitization of substances, and its purpose is to protect the health and safety of humans and animals. Through reasonable test methods and evaluation criteria, it can effectively assess irritation and sensitization, provide relevant information about substances, and guide the design and use of products. With the development and continuous improvement of alternative test methods, better testing and protection effects will be achieved.