Abstract
Several in vitro phototoxicity methods have been developed to assess the phototoxic potential of substances. These can be classified into two groups: the methods for screening purposes and tests focusing on the specific mechanisms of phototoxic reactions.
Among these methods the 3T3 Neutral Red uptake phototoxicity test (3T3 NRU PT) was accepted as an established alternative method by ECVAM. In 2000, the EU Commission officially accepted 3T3 NRU PT for classification and labeling of chemicals to assess their acute phototoxic potential. In 2004, 3T3 NRU PT was adopted as an OECD guideline for chemicals (OECD Test Guideline TG432).
This paper will describe the peer review of 3T3 NRU PT in Japan and the validation study of a new battery system proposed by Japanese industry. The paper also discusses a few recent studies using 3T3 NRU PT.
