The effects of fasting on the acute oral toxicity of nine chemicals in the rat.

Nine chemicals, with a range from extremely to slightly toxic, were used to measure the oral LD50 in both fasted (24-h) and non-fasted rats. Each chemical was tested as a solution or suspension in corn oil, responses within 14 days post-treatment were evaluated, and LD50S were calculated. Hexachlorophene was more toxic in non-fasted rats. The LD50 values for tetraethyl lead, methomyl and hexamethylenediamine were essentially the same in both fasted and non-fasted rats. Adiponitrile, bromobenzene, caffeine, carbon tetrachloride and N-butyl-1,6-hexamediamine yielded lower LD50 values in fasted rats. The use of non-fasted rats in acute oral toxicity determinations allows both the establishment of relative potency and the estimation of dosage levels for further repeated dose oral studies. The LD50 values obtained were generally (7 of 9) higher in non-fasted rats, but the magnitude of the differences was not great enough to suggest routine use of both fasted and non-fasted rats in oral toxicity studies.

Toxicological evaluations of some brominated biphenyls.

Extensive toxicological studies were carried out to define the probable hazard of octabromobiphenyl (OBB) to workers, users, and the environment. OBB had low acute toxicity in mammals and birds by various routes of administration. It was essentially non-irritating to rabbit eyes, non-irritating to human skin and caused only mild skin irritation and no sensitization in the guinea pig. OBB caused equivocal effects in the rat fetus. OBB was stored in the body fat of rats and caused liver enlargement at high single doses or low repeated doses. The studies indicate probable low safety factors in application and use and probable bioaccumulation. Hexabromobiphenyl (HBB) was more acutely toxic than OBB by skin absorption in the rabbit and caused liver enlargement at lower single doses.