Effects of an experimental contact lens disinfectant on rabbit corneal epithelium cultures

We investigated the toxicity of a new, chlorine-based, experimental contact lens disinfectant (Alcide Corp., Norwalk, CT) on rabbit corneal epithelium in tissue culture. Explants of isolated corneal epithelium were grown in tissue culture for 7 days and then exposed for 1 h to one of three different concentrations of the experimental disinfectant or to a saline control. At the manufacturer's standard concentration, and at one-half the standard concentration, the relative area covered by living cells in the culture was reduced an average of 32% 3 days after treatment. At double the standard concentration, the area was reduced 63%, which was a significant reduction in comparison with controls. All groups showed some recovery in area of living epithelial cells within 7 days after treatment. In comparison with similar studies on other chemicals used in ophthalmic preparations, these results suggest that this chlorine-based disinfectant is relatively nontoxic to corneal epithelial cells.