title: Immunotoxicology studies on octoxynol-9 and nonoxynol-9 in mice.
abstract: In a double-blind study, mice were injected intraperitoneally with 0.2 ml 0.2% octoxynol-9 (O-9), 0.2 ml 0.2% nonoxynol-9 (N-9), or 0.2 ml saline (control) daily for 24 days. Another control group received no treatment. All mice were immunized twice with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and bled by caudal incision. Mice receiving N-9 lost weight (P less than 0.02), had smaller livers (P less than 0.05), and showed enlarged spleens (P less than 0.05). The N-9-treated mice did not differ from either control group in the primary or secondary anti-SRBC responses, leukocyte (WBC) counts, or in the sizes of the kidneys, hearts, lungs, or thymuses. Mice receiving O-9 showed no significant differences from either control group in any of these tests. Serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels were similar in mice treated with O-9, N-9, or saline. All 3 groups had higher levels of both classes of immunoglobulins on day 16 than did untreated controls. This study shows that O-9, given to mice in doses 3 times that used by humans, is nontoxic, whereas the same dose of N-9 has minor deleterious effects.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects*; D007114:Immunization; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D017137:Nonoxynol; D017830:Octoxynol; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012756:Sheep / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D017137:Nonoxynol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D017830:Octoxynol