Mechanistically based short-term in vitro tests to evaluate the relative cytotoxicity of of chemicals will complement in vitro genotoxicity testing during the initial phases of toxicity evaluation as well as provide information on the cellular site of action for chemicals found to be toxic in animals. The objective of this study was to characterize a procedure for evaluating mitochondrial membrane potential, an integral component of cellular energy homeostasis and normal cellular function, as an in vitro indicator of chemically induced cytotoxicity. Rhodamine 123, a cationic fluorescent dye whose mitochondrial fluorescence intensity decreases quantitatively in response to dissipation of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, was used to evaluate disturbances in mitochondrial membrane potential. Cultured rat liver epithelial cells (WB cell line) or human skin fibroblasts (MSU-2 cell line) treated with the oxidative phosphorylation uncoupler 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) or the cytochrome oxidase inhibitor sodium azide were used to characterize the system. In addition, acetaldehyde, which has been reported to damage the plasma membrane, but not the mitochondrial membrane, was used to demonstrate the specificity of this assay system. Mitochondrial membrane potential was not significantly affected by the cell culture density, as long as the cells were in the logarithmic phase of growth. The stage of the cell cycle influenced the mitochondrial membrane potential in human skin fibroblasts (highest in late G1-early S) but not in rat liver cells. DNP and sodium azide significantly (p less than 0.01) reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential in both cell lines compared to untreated cells, while acetaldehyde did not reduce the mitochondrial membrane potential in either cell line. This assay provides a tool for evaluating the effect of chemical treatments on mitochondrial membrane potential, as well as an indicator of cytotoxicity which does not require the use of animals.