[Silicone and latex urinary catheters cytotoxicity on primary cultured rabbit urothelial cells].

UNLABELLED: In everyday urological practice, the use of urinary catheters creates problems such as epithelial hyperplasia, edema or erosion.

THE AIM: of this study is estimation of the toxicity of latex and silicone urinary catheters on primary cultured rabbit urothelial cells (PRUCC) was compared.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Primary cultured rabbit urothelial cells (PRUC) were characterized for their proliferation, qualitative evaluation and quantitative measurement of cytokeratins. In the first kind of cytotoxic assay included exposition of the PRUC cells on liquid extracts of latex and silicone. Cytotoxicity of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50% dilution and pure extract was evaluated after 24 h. Additionally for 1% solution observation was extended up to 3 days. The second cytotoxic assay was based on the close contact between the catheter surface and cells. In direct contact test, latex and silicon catheters samples covered cultured cells. Trypan blue exclusion assay was used to measure cell viability. Cells were counted using inverted microscope with camera.

RESULTS

1, 5, 10 and 20% of silicon extracts did not affect cell viability while 5% of latex catheter extracts did. There was no difference in cytotoxicity when PRUC cells had been exposed to 1% dilutions of both silicone and latex catheters extracts after 3-days observation. 50% dilution and pure latex and silicone urinary catheters extracts appears to be highly toxic on PRUC. Direct contact test confirmed high toxicity of latex and silicone catheters on PRUC.

CONCLUSIONS

We confirmed latex and silicone on PRUC to be very toxic with direct contact. Using extract test the properties of silicone seemed to be slightly better. Authors postulate using catheters covered with hydrogenic gel in every day urological practice.