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An in vitro study of biological safety of condoms and their additives

M J Bester

Department of Anatomy, School of Health Sciences, Medical Faculty of the University of Pretoria, South Africa

E Pretorius

Department of Anatomy, School of Health Sciences, Medical Faculty of the University of Pretoria, South Africa; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, BMW Building, PO Box 2034, Pretoria 0001, South Africa resia.pretorius{at}up.ac.za

P J Becker

Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa

The use of condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV, is widely encouraged. Condoms contain latex, nonspermicidal lubricants (such as dimethylsiliconium) and other nonspecified compounds, such as colorants and flavorings. Latex causes allergy reaction in susceptible individuals but little is known regarding the cytotoxic effects of other additives. The objective of this study was to develop a sensitive in vitrosystem to determine the toxic effects of condom material. The modified L929 FDA method and a more specific cell type, such as the cervical epithelial tumor cell line HeLa, was used. Lubricated (LC), lubricated and flavored (LFC), and lubricated, flavored and colored condoms (LFCC) were evaluated. Washings containing condom surface material were prepared by washing condom fragments in medium for different time intervals. Changes in cell number, viability and lysosome integrity in the L929 and HeLa cell lines was determined using the Crystal Violet, MTT and Neutral Red assays, respectively. The condom type affected cell viability and lysosome integrity, with LC inducing an increase in cell viability and LFC a decrease in lysosome integrity. The HeLa cell line in combination with the MTT and NR assay was the most sensitive in vitro system to determine the toxic effects of condom material.

Key Words: cell survival • cell viability • cytotoxicity • latex condoms • lysosome membrane integrity

Human & Experimental Toxicology, Vol. 22, No. 12, 659-664 (2003)
DOI: 10.1191/0960327103ht410oa


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