Dermal absorption of testosterone in human and pig skin in vitro

The OECD test guideline 428 for the assessment of dermal absorption in vitro has been in force for more than a decade. Various sectors of industry utilise the method for the registration of chemical products. These include the Agrochemical and Cosmetic sectors where the OECD test guideline and industry-specific guidance forms a key part of the human risk assessment process for new and existing products. This investigation has compared the dermal absorption characteristics of one of the OECD 428 reference chemicals, testosterone, in human and pig dermatomed skin. We used identical dosing and skin decontamination conditions for testosterone in Franz static diffusion cells. This included a full mass balance recovery of the dose applied and distribution of the compound in the different layers of the skin. Our investigation has shown that intact human skin provides a more effective barrier to the dermal absorption of testosterone compared with pig skin, when studied according to modern day in vitro dermal absorption guidance.