Ethylbenzene: 4- and 13-week rat oral toxicity.
Ethylbenzene was administered to groups of male and female Wistar rats by gavage for 4 (n = 5/dose/sex) and 13 weeks (n = 10/dose/sex) (OECD 408) at doses of 0 (vehicle control), 75, 250, and 750 mg/kg bodyweight/day (mg/kg bw/day), administered am/pm as half doses. In the 4-week study, > or =250 mg/kg increased serum alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin and cholesterol, liver weights and centrilobular hepatocyte hypertrophy, and kidney weights; males also had post-dose salivation, increased urinary epithelial cell casts and cells, and hyaline droplet nephropathy. In the 13-week study, > or =250 mg/kg increased water consumption and produced post-dose salivation. Liver-related effects: increased serum alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, bilirubin, total protein, albumin and globulins, cholesterol, liver weights and centrilobular hepatocyte hypertrophy, and reduced prothrombin times. Kidney-related effects: increased serum potassium, calcium, magnesium, kidney weights, and (males only) urea and hyaline droplets in renal tubular epithelium, and reduced sodium (females only); creatinine was reduced in 750 mg/kg males. The NOAEL of ethylbenzene in these studies, based on hepatocyte hypertrophy and liver- and kidney-related clinical chemistry changes, was 75 mg/kg bw/day.
Mellert
Werner
W
BASF Aktiengesellschaft, Department of Product Safety, Z 470, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Deckardt
Klaus
K
Kaufmann
Wolfgang
W
van Ravenzwaay
Bennard
B
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012472:Salivation / Q000187:drug effects; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D014508:Urea; D002784:Cholesterol; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; C004912:ethylbenzene; D001663:Bilirubin