Further evaluation of a method used for investigation of toxic drug effects

Abstract

Further evaluation of a method suitable for investigation of toxic drug effect was performed. Rabbit corneas kept in organ culture were exposed to gentamicin for 24 h, and their weights were recorded. The weight increase observed in all specimens was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) in the corneas exposed to gentamicin 0.6 mg/ml (n = 7) than in the controls (n = 14). This was not the case for the corneas exposed to 0.3 mg/ml and 0.1 mg/ml. The accuracy of each weight recording was tested by repeated recordings. The standard deviation (SD) was less than 1%, and there was no significant difference between series performed by two different recorders. The reproducibility of the test was focused upon by calculating the SD of the control group, and by comparing the present results with the results of a control group in a recently published study (Medin 1992). The SD was approximately 2.8%, and no significant difference was found.