PMID- 7493458
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19960111
LR  - 20190721
IS  - 0105-1873 (Print)
IS  - 0105-1873 (Linking)
VI  - 33
IP  - 1
DP  - 1995 Jul
TI  - An evaluation of the suitability of benzocaine as a positive control skin 
      sensitizer.
PG  - 28-32
AB  - Although they are subject to some limitations, sensitization tests such as the 
      guinea pig maximization test (GPMT) have for many years provided a valuable basis 
      for the identification of skin sensitization potential. Thus they have been used 
      widely by regulatory authorities, such as those in Europe, as a means to identify 
      significant sensitization hazards associated with new chemicals. However, the 
      standard of performance of guinea pig sensitization assays has been demonstrated 
      to be widely variable. Consequently, the OECD sensitization test guideline (the 
      de facto world standard) has been updated to incorporate recommendations for 
      action whose aim is to achieve a minimum standard of test conduct. The principle 
      is that a test laboratory should be able to demonstrate an acceptable level of 
      response using a moderately sensitizing chemical. A list of 3 such chemicals is 
      provided, hexyl cinnamic aldehyde, mercaptobenzothiazole and benzocaine. It is 
      our experience that whilst good results can readily be obtained with the first 2 
      of these, benzocaine is much more difficult. Using both the GPMT and the local 
      lymph node assay (LLNA), an OECD-recommended screening test, benzocaine has given 
      highly variable results. A range of from 0% to 60% positive in the GPMT was found 
      and, in most tests, benzocaine would not classify as a skin sensitizer according 
      to EU criteria. In the LLNA, from a series of 12 tests conducted in 2 
      laboratories, only occasional positive results were obtained. Furthermore, these 
      positive results were not reproducible. Reasons for this variability are 
      discussed. However, the main conclusion must be that benzocaine does not 
      represent a useful moderately sensitizing positive control.
FAU - Basketter, D A
AU  - Basketter DA
AD  - Unilever Environmental Safety Laboratory, Sharnbrook, Bedford, UK.
FAU - Scholes, E W
AU  - Scholes EW
FAU - Wahlkvist, H
AU  - Wahlkvist H
FAU - Montelius, J
AU  - Montelius J
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - England
TA  - Contact Dermatitis
JT  - Contact dermatitis
JID - 7604950
RN  - 0 (Anesthetics, Local)
RN  - U3RSY48JW5 (Benzocaine)
SB  - IM
MH  - *Anesthetics, Local/administration & dosage
MH  - Animals
MH  - *Benzocaine/administration & dosage
MH  - Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
MH  - Guinea Pigs
MH  - Injections, Intradermal
MH  - Lymph Nodes/drug effects
MH  - Reproducibility of Results
MH  - Skin Tests/*standards
EDAT- 1995/07/01 00:00
MHDA- 1995/07/01 00:01
CRDT- 1995/07/01 00:00
PHST- 1995/07/01 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1995/07/01 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1995/07/01 00:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1111/j.1600-0536.1995.tb00443.x [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Contact Dermatitis. 1995 Jul;33(1):28-32. doi: 
      10.1111/j.1600-0536.1995.tb00443.x.