Prediction of dermal toxicity in humans from studies on animals

Use of the Domestic Swine as an Alternative Animal Model for Conducting Dermal Irritation/Corrosion Studies on Fatty Amine Ethoxylates

“…Published literature supports the view that the skin of the albino rabbit is significantly more sensitive to the irritative effects of chemical substances than is human skin (Rowe and Olsen 1965;Elliot 1970). Comparative irritancy studies in the rabbit, pig, and humans have demonstrated that many chemical substances, such as oils and synthetic perfumes, were more severely irritating to rabbit skin using open exposure application than on human skin using occlusive applications (Motoyosho et al 1979).…”

“…The albino rabbit has historically been used for skin irritation testing due to its availability, low cost, ease of handling, and unpigmented skin. However, several reports have documented significant differences between human and rabbit skin with regard to structure, function, and irritative responses to a variety of chemicals (Rowe and Olsen 1965;Kligman 1964;Bartek, LaBuddle, and Maibach 1972;Maibach and Wester 1989;Motoyoshi et al 1979). The differences in response have been attributed to several factors, including the thick fur of the rabbit making its skin dryer, a thinner stratum corneum (2 to 3 cell layers) when compared to humans (6 to 10 cell layers), and a water diffusion rate approximately 2.5 times greater than humans (Kligman 1964).…”