Reproductive toxicity: in vivo testing guidelines from OECD

Abstract

The guidelines for testing the reproductive toxicity in vivo developed and validated by Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development allow for a systematic and internationally accepted testing and assessment of chemicals. Within reproductive toxicity two main categories of guidelines are usually identified: one dedicated to testing developmental toxicity, starting before the gestation period, while the other guidelines test the reproductive toxicity as a whole, therefore including male and female fertility and development. In this chapter, we summarize the guidelines on in vivo reproductive toxicity, by describing the general principles of the studies, the main aspects of the procedure, the endpoints and the observations, data reporting, and the criteria needed for the interpretation of their results.