The differential cytotoxicity of antiseptic agents

Abstract

Abstract The cytotoxicity of the antiseptic agents noxythiolin and chlorhexidine has been evaluated in-vitro using a range of tissue culture cell lines of differing degrees of neoplasticity. Noxythiolin appeared more cytotoxic than did chlorhexidine when tested against established neoplastic cell lines. By contrast, noxythiolin was not cytotoxic to normal control (non-neoplastic) cells. For chlorhexidine, the cytotoxic activity against control cells was similar to that observed for neoplastic cell lines. The results confirm an earlier observation of limited antitumour activity of noxythiolin solutions and, on the basis of differential cytotoxicity, confirm that noxythiolin is free from adverse effects against normal tissues and is safe for use as an antimicrobial agent applied to peritoneal surfaces and the healing wound.