Environ Health Toxicol.  2014 ;29(1):e2014004. 10.5620/eht.2014.29.e2014004.

Skin corrosion and irritation test of sunscreen nanoparticles using reconstructed 3D human skin model

• Choi J
• Kim H
• Choi J
• Oh SM
• Park J
• Park K

• KMID: 2380097
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5620/eht.2014.29.e2014004

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Effects of nanoparticles including zinc oxide nanoparticles, titanium oxide nanoparticles, and their mixtures on skin corrosion and irritation were investigated by using in vitro 3D human skin models (KeraSkin(TM)) and the results were compared to those of an in vivo animal test.
METHODS
Skin models were incubated with nanoparticles for a definite time period and cell viability was measured by the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2.5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method. Skin corrosion and irritation were identified by the decreased viability based on the pre-determined threshold.
RESULTS
Cell viability after exposure to nanomaterial was not decreased to the pre-determined threshold level, which was 15% after 60 minutes exposure in corrosion test and 50% after 45 minutes exposure in the irritation test. IL-1alpha release and histopathological findings support the results of cell viability test. In vivo test using rabbits also showed non-corrosive and non-irritant results.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings provide the evidence that zinc oxide nanoparticles, titanium oxide nanoparticles and their mixture are 'non corrosive' and 'non-irritant' to the human skin by a globally harmonized classification system. In vivo test using animals can be replaced by an alternative in vitro test.

Keyword

Alternative methods; Corrosion; 3D skin model; Irritation; Nanoparticles

MeSH Terms

Animals
Cell Survival
Classification
Corrosion*
Humans
Nanoparticles*
Nanostructures
Rabbits
Skin*
Titanium
Zinc Oxide
Titanium
Zinc Oxide