Test No. 439: In Vitro Skin Irritation
Subtitle: Reconstructed Human Epidermis Test Method
By: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Series: OECD Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals, Section 4
Publisher: OECD Publishing
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Paris
Language: eng
Format: [electronic resource]:
Number of pages: 18
ISBN-13: 9789264090958
Subjects: Ecology; Euthenics; Nature and nurture; Adaptation (Biology)
Description: This Test Guideline describes an in vitro procedure that may be used for the hazard identification of irritant chemicals (substances and mixtures) in accordance with the UN Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling (GHS) Category 2.  It is based on reconstructed human epidermis (RhE), which in its overall design closely mimics the biochemical and physiological properties of the upper parts of the human skin. Cell viability is measured by enzymatic conversion of the vital dye MTT into a blue formazan salt that is quantitatively measured after extraction from tissues. Irritant test substances are identified by their ability to decrease cell viability below defined threshold levels (below or equal to 50% for UN GHS Category 2). This Test Guideline also includes a set of Performance Standards for the assessment of similar and modified RhE-based test methods. There are three validated test methods that adhere to this Test Guideline. Depending on the regulatory framework and the classification system in use, this procedure may be used to determine the skin irritancy of test substances as a stand-alone replacement test for in vivo skin irritation testing, or as a partial replacement test, within a tiered testing strategy.