The assessment of urinary catheter toxicity using cell cultures: validation by comparison with an animal model.

A cell culture technique for assessing the toxicity of urinary catheters is described. The inhibitory effect of catheter extracts on the uptake of 3H-labelled thymidine by L929 mouse fibroblasts and human prostate derived epithelial cells in culture was measured. The concentration of extract which depressed uptake to 50 per cent of control (IC50) was determined for catheters of different composition. When compared to the degree of inflammation caused by the same catheters in an animal model, a significant correlation was observed (rs = -0.87). As a result of this correlation, the cell culture technique has the potential to be used as a valid alternative to the animal model.