Overview of animal test methods for skin irritation.

Determining the irritant effects of chemicals in experimental animals provides the public with information on and protection against possible hazards that may arise from exposure of the human skin. Furthermore, the data obtained are used for registration and classification purposes. This paper reviews the methods proposed in the most important guidelines (OECD, EEC and FIFRA guidelines) and points out the critical experimental points. It shows that the introduction of OECD Guideline No. 404 can lead to a reduction in the number of test animals used for skin irritation testing.