Percutaneous absorption of sunscreens in vitro: interspecies comparison, skin models and reproducibility aspects.

Appropriate evaluation of sunscreens is required to provide better knowledge of their safety and efficacy. One of the most important elements of this evaluation is the assessment of percutaneous absorption. In vitro methods are largely used for such assessments, and the accuracy of the measurements generated with these methods depends on the use of a proper methodology.

Fluoroquinolone antibacterials enhance UVA-induced skin tumors.

Fluoroquinolone antibacterials are known to be phototoxic, both in vivo and in vitro. The action spectrum for the phototoxicity of the quinolones lies mainly in the UVA region. During studies of systemic drug phototoxicity, Johnson et al.

EEC/COLIPA project on in vitro phototoxicity testing: First results obtained with a Balb/c 3T3 cell phototoxicity assay.

In a joint validation project eight laboratories from the European Cosmetic Industry Association (COLIPA) as well as FRAME (England) and ZEBET (Germany) are trying to develop validated in vitro methods to be incorporated into new international guidelines for acute phototoxicity testing. The first stage of the study involved selection of the most promising in vitro phototoxicity tests for further validation. 20 chemicals with known phototoxic properties (12 phototoxins, four UV-absorbing non-phototoxins and four non-UV absorbing non-phototoxins) were tested under identical conditions of UV exposure conditions (sun simulator, UVA 5 J/cm(2)) in a standardized cytotoxicity assay with Balb/c 3T3 fibroblasts (endpoint: neutral red uptake, NRU).

Loceryl nail lacquer--realization of a new galenical approach to onychomycosis therapy.

Loceryl nail lacquer was developed to provide the effective antifungal drug, amorolfine, in a once-weekly dosage regimen combined with a convenient mode of application. Traditional formulations such as creams and nail solutions do not fulfil these requirements because they are wiped or washed off very rapidly. Amorolfine nail lacquer builds a non-water-soluble film on the nail plate, and this film remains in place for 1 week.