Relative developmental toxicities of inhaled aliphatic mononitriles in rats.
The developmental toxicities of eight aliphatic mononitriles were studied in Sprague-Dawley rats after inhalation exposure for 6 hr/day, during Days 6 to 20 of gestation. The range of exposure concentrations for acetonitrile was 900 to 1800 ppm; for propionitrile and n-butyronitrile, 50 to 200 ppm; for isobutyronitrile, 50 to 300 ppm; for acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile, 12 to 100 ppm; for allylnitrile 12 to 50 ppm; and for 2-chloroacrylonitrile, 1 to 12 ppm. Embryolethality was observed after exposure to 1800 ppm acetonitrile, 200 ppm propionitrile, 300 ppm isobutyronitrile; fetotoxicity was observed after exposure to 200 ppm propionitrile, n-butyronitrile, or isobutyronitrile, or to 25 ppm acrylonitrile in the presence of overt signs of maternal toxicity. In the absence of significant maternal toxicity, allylnitrile caused embryolethality, fetotoxicity, and clear teratogenicity at 50 ppm, and n-butyronitrile and methacrylonitrile caused fetotoxicity at 200 ppm and 100 ppm, respectively. While maternal toxicity was observed for 2-chloroacrylonitrile, it did not cause significant embryonal or fetal toxicity up to 12 ppm.
Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité, Vandoeuvre, France.
A M
AM
Saillenfait
P
P
Bonnet
J P
JP
Guenier
J
J
de Ceaurriz
D000097:Acetonitriles / Q000633:toxicity; D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009570:Nitriles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013723:Teratogens / Q000633:toxicity*
D000097:Acetonitriles; D009570:Nitriles; D013723:Teratogens; C031103:crotononitrile; C015660:allyl cyanide; C005557:propionitrile; C032723:N-butyronitrile