Acute illness and recovery in adult female rats following ingestion of a tooth whitener containing 6% hydrogen peroxide.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether ingestion of a tooth whitener containing 6% hydrogen peroxide as bleaching agent affected the gastric mucosa of adult, female laboratory rats.


METHODS
Thirty-six fasting rats were intubated with a single bolus (5 g/kg body weight) of the tooth whitener Natural White which contains 6% hydrogen peroxide. Thirty-two control rats received deionized water. Rats were necropsied 15 minutes, 2 hours, 1 and 2 weeks after whitener ingestion. The gastric mucosa was examined histologically and blood hematocrit, glucose, BUN, and bilirubin measured.


RESULTS
Six of the 36 rats died within 2 hours of receiving whitener. Within 15 minutes of whitener ingestion, stomachs were grossly bloated with gas. Histological observation showed that gastric mucosal cells were vacuolated and gastric glands dilated. After 2 hours, gastric epithelial and glandular cells had sloughed off into the gastric lumen. Mean blood glucose and hematocrit were significantly (P < 0.05) elevated (233 +/- 41 mg/ml and 50.5 +/- 0.9%) over mean control values (129 +/- 8 mg/ml and 42.8 +/- 2.4%). Within 1 week, the stomachs of experimental rats were no longer bloated, the gastric mucosa appeared normal histologically, but mean blood hematocrit was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased (38.0 +/- 1.5%) from mean control value (43.3 +/- 0.5%). There were no significant differences in mean blood values 2 weeks after whitener ingestion.
Redmond
A F
AF
Department of Applied Dental Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Alton 62002-4798, USA.
Cherry
D V
DV
Bowers
D E
DE
D000208:Acute Disease; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000633:toxicity*; D011041:Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D014073:Tooth Bleaching / Q000009:adverse effects*
D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide