148 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS SPECIAL EDITIONS The following special editions are available. Ten-Volume Index, 1947-1959 Price $2.50 Seminar on Percutaneous Absorption Price $5.00 Prepaid orders may be sent to: Editorial Assistant 2758 Pine Hill Drive Birmingham, Michigan

J. soc. cos. CHEM. 15, 149-154 (1964) LEUKOCYTE DAMAGE BY ORAL PRODUCTS By J. M. KL•qKU^MER, D.M.D., and V. F. L•s^N'rt, D.M.D.* Presented September 2•t-25, 1963, Seminar, Boston, Mass. ABSTRACT The healthy human mouth harbors millions of viable phagocytosing polymorphonuclear white blood cells. The oral mucus, containing these leukocytes, is harvested by means of a SO-second oral rinsing procedure. In vitro observations of leukocytes remaining in their original host-mucus environment have provided a new method for the evaluation of the biological effects of substances on a human living cell. Evaluation criteria are based on cell integrity as it is exemplified by the well-defined dynamic characteristics of: mode and polarity of locomotion, cell membrane activities and specific granule distribution patterns. Aqueous extracts of commercial oral products added to the mucus samples show disintegration of half the leukocyte population at concentration levels between 18 and 0.2%. Unexpected destruction of exfoliated epithelial cells has been observed, and the events of the disintegration process have been studied through phase-contrast cinemicrography. INTRODUCTION Recently a method has been developed to harvest mucus from the human oral cavity, containing millions of viable po]ymorphonuclear leukocytes. The rate of migration onto the surface of the mucous mem- brane is considerable, and counts have reached values of over 100,000 leukocytes per second (1). The most important function is the constant vigorous phagocytosis which takes place in the mucus layer covering all free surfaces of the oral cavity. It has become clear that the polymor- phonuclear leukocytes are a formidable force in the control of bacterial invasion. In this paper a procedure for screening the effects of oral products on leukocytes will be described. No claims have ever been made indicating that commercial products have any particular effect on the integrity of oral leukocytes. This report hopes, therefore, to stimulate such interest and aims to show that among existing oral products a wide range of toler- * Institute of Stomatological Research, Brookline 46, Mass. 149