Toxicological evaluation of smokeless tobacco: 2-year chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity feeding study in Wistar Han rats.

UNLABELLED: A comprehensive 2-year oral chronic toxicity/carcinogenicity study was conducted with smokeless tobacco using modern toxicological test methods and well-accepted standards. The study included a 1-year interim subgroup to assess toxicity at that intermediate time point. Test groups consisted of a tobacco blend (B) used in snus, and an aqueous tobacco extract of that tobacco blend (E) administered at 0.2, 2, or 5 mg nicotine/kg body weight/day via dosed feed to male and female Wistar Han rats. The dosages were selected to simulate potential exposure in humans ingesting smokeless tobacco or an aqueous extract of smokeless tobacco (the latter intended to simulate a snus extract, to enable bridging these data to snus epidemiology data). The following endpoints were evaluated: clinical observations, body weights, feed consumption (FC), ophthalmic exams, toxicokinetics, clinical pathology, gross pathology, and histopathology. During the 2-year study, clear treatment-related, dose-responsive effects included: (1) increases in plasma nicotine and cotinine (indicating that animals were appropriately exposed to levels relevant to human exposure) and (2) decreases in body weights with some alterations in FC. At the 2-year time point, two tumor types (in the highest B doses) displayed statistically significantly increased incidence trends vs. CONTROLS: (1) uterine carcinoma in females and (2) epididymal mesothelioma in males. Three tumor types displayed statistically significantly decreased incidence trends: (1) mammary gland adenomas in females, (2) skin basal cell carcinomas in females, and (3) thyroid follicular cell adenomas in males. These increases (and decreases) in tumor trends were interpreted as not being treatment-related because: (1) there were no preneoplastic or related non-neoplastic histopathological findings in the treated rats at the 1-year or 2-year time points to suggest that any of these neoplastic findings were treatment-related and (2) the tumor morphologies and incidences were generally within the expected range of historical controls for Wistar Han rats. Findings from this study indicate that chronic exposure of male and female Wistar Han rats to either a tobacco blend used in snus, or a tobacco extract of that blend does not lead to increased toxicity or carcinogenicity, based on the specified outcomes measured.

Cadmium exposure and tobacco consumption: Biomarkers and risk assessment.

To investigate whether cadmium has an independent role in diseases associated with tobacco consumption, epidemiology data were reviewed, biomonitoring data were analyzed, and probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) was performed. Results from previous epidemiology studies have indicated that there are adverse health effects potentially in common between cadmium exposure and tobacco consumption. Analysis of publically available biomonitoring data showed that blood (B-Cd) and urine (U-Cd) cadmium were higher in cigarette smokers compared with smokeless tobacco (SLT) consumers, and B-Cd and U-Cd in SLT consumers were not significantly different than in non-consumers of tobacco. Comparison with previously established biomonitoring equivalent (BE) values indicated that B-Cd and U-Cd in the majority of these cigarette smokers and SLT consumers did not exceed the blood and urine BEs. Results of the PRA showed that the mean hazard estimate was below a generally accepted regulatory threshold for SLT consumers, but not for cigarette smokers. In total, this evaluation indicated that cadmium exposures in tobacco consumers differed by product category consumed; cadmium in tobacco may not be associated with tobacco consumption related diseases; if cadmium in tobacco contributes to tobacco consumption related diseases, differences in hazard and/or risk may exist by product category.

Toxicological evaluation of smokeless tobacco: 90-day rodent feeding studies.

This manuscript presents data from 90-day toxicology studies designed to characterize the subchronic effects of a smokeless tobacco blend and an aqueous extract of that blend when administered to rodents in NTP-2000 feed. Positive control (nicotine tartrate) and treatment groups were matched for a range of nicotine levels. The doses evaluated were 0.3, 3, and 6 mg nicotine/kg body weight/day in Wistar Hannover rats and 6, 60, and 120 mg nicotine/kg/day in CD-1 mice. Variables evaluated included plasma nicotine and cotinine, body weights, feed consumption, clinical observations, clinical and anatomic pathology (including organ weights), and histopathology. Plasma nicotine and cotinine levels were dose-responsive. Key effects such as body weight reductions and organ weight changes occurred in rats and mice predominantly at the highest doses of test articles and positive control in the absence of treatment-related gross or histopathological changes. Organ weight changes were attributed mainly to the lower body weights of treated vs. control groups. The blend- and extract-induced effects generally paralleled each other and the nicotine-induced effects. Based on these studies, the doses evaluated spanned the no observable adverse effect level, the lowest observable adverse effect level and the maximum tolerated dose.

A Bayesian statistical analysis of mouse dermal tumor promotion assay data for evaluating cigarette smoke condensate.

The mouse dermal assay has long been used to assess the dermal tumorigenicity of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC). This mouse skin model has been developed for use in carcinogenicity testing utilizing the SENCAR mouse as the standard strain. Though the model has limitations, it remains as the most relevant method available to study the dermal tumor promoting potential of mainstream cigarette smoke. In the typical SENCAR mouse CSC bioassay, CSC is applied for 29 weeks following the application of a tumor initiator such as 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA). Several endpoints are considered for analysis including: the percentage of animals with at least one mass, latency, and number of masses per animal. In this paper, a relatively straightforward analytic model and procedure is presented for analyzing the time course of the incidence of masses. The procedure considered here takes advantage of Bayesian statistical techniques, which provide powerful methods for model fitting and simulation. Two datasets are analyzed to illustrate how the model fits the data, how well the model may perform in predicting data from such trials, and how the model may be used as a decision tool when comparing the dermal tumorigenicity of cigarette smoke condensate from multiple cigarette types. The analysis presented here was developed as a statistical decision tool for differentiating between two or more prototype products based on the dermal tumorigenicity.

Environmental fate and effects of nicotine released during cigarette production.

A variety of test methods were used to study the gradation, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of nicotine. Studies included determination of the octanol-water partition coefficient, conversion to CO2 in soil and activated sludge, and evaluation of the effects on microbiological and algal inhibition as well as plant germination and root elongation. The partitioning of nicotine between octanol and water indicated that nicotine will not bioaccumulate regardless of the pH of the medium. The aqueous and soil-based biodegradation studies indicated that nicotine is readily biodegradable in both types of media. The microbiological inhibition and aquatic and terrestrial toxicity tests indicated that nicotine has low toxicity. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Persistence, Bioaccumulation, and Toxicity Profiler model, based on the structure of nicotine and the predictive rates of hydroxyl radical and ozone reactions, estimated an atmospheric half-life of less than 5.0 h. Using this value in the Canadian Environmental Modeling Center level III model, the half-life of nicotine was estimated as 3.0 d in water and 0.5 d in soil. This model also estimated nicotine discharge into the environment; nicotine would be expected to be found predominantly in water (93%), followed by soil (4%), air (3%), and sediment (0.4%). Using the estimated nicotine concentrations in water, soil, and sediment and the proper median effective concentrations derived from the algal growth, biomass inhibition, and buttercrunch lettuce (Lactuca sativa) seed germination and root elongation studies, hazard quotients of between 10(-7) and 10(-8) were calculated, providing further support for the conclusion that the potential for nicotine toxicity to aquatic and terrestrial species in the environment is extremely low.

Safety assessment of diammonium phosphate and urea used in the manufacture of cigarettes.

A tiered testing strategy has been employed to evaluate the potential for new ingredients, tobacco processes, and technological developments to alter the mainstream smoke or biological activity that results from burning cigarette tobacco. The foundation of this evaluation strategy is comparative testing, typically including chemical and biological assessments. In the manufacture of cigarettes, diammonium phosphate (DAP) and urea have been historically used as ingredients added to tobacco, to reconstituted tobacco sheet, and to other processed tobaccos. As part of ongoing stewardship efforts, a toxicological assessment of cigarettes with and without DAP and urea was conducted. Chemical and biological analyses were conducted for test cigarettes added 0.5% DAP and 0.2% urea in the final blend and also for those added 1.0% DAP and 0.41% urea in the final blend compared to reference cigarettes without added DAP or urea. Principal components of this evaluation included a determination of selected mainstream smoke constituent yields, an Ames assay in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100, a sister chromatid exchange assay in Chinese hamster ovary cells, a 13-week inhalation study of mainstream cigarette smoke in Sprague-Dawley rats, and a 30-week dermal tumor-promotion evaluation of mainstream cigarette smoke condensate in SENCAR mice. Comparative evaluations demonstrated that the addition of DAP and urea to cigarettes at up to 1% and 0.41%, respectively, does not alter the biological activity compared to reference cigarettes without DAP or urea.

Toxicological evaluation of cigarettes with two banded cigarette paper technologies.

A tiered testing strategy has been employed to evaluate the potential of tobacco processes, ingredients, or technological developments to change the biological activity resulting from burning cigarette tobacco. The strategy is based on comparative chemical and biological testing. The introduction of banded cigarette papers in cigarettes to meet New York state "Fire Safety Standards for Cigarettes" constitutes an example of a technological development evaluated utilizing this tiered testing strategy that included a comparison of the chemical and biological effects of cigarettes with and without the banded cigarette paper technologies (BCPT) (representative of current marketed technologies). Specific testing included mainstream cigarette smoke chemistry studies; in vitro studies included genotoxicity (Ames and sister chromatid exchange) and cytotoxicity studies (neutral red); in vivo studies included a 13-week inhalation study in Sprague-Dawley rats and a 30-week dermal tumor promotion study in SENCAR mice. Collectively, data indicated that cigarettes with and without BCPT had a similar toxicological profile in this test battery.

Comparative 13-week cigarette smoke inhalation study in Sprague-Dawley rats: evaluation of cigarettes with two banded cigarette paper technologies.

This study compared the toxicological responses of Sprague-Dawley rats exposed nose-only to mainstream smoke (MS) from Test cigarettes (1, 2, and 3) to those of Control cigarettes without banded cigarette paper technologies (BCPT). Test cigarettes 1 and 2 had bands based on one technology (different band weight application) while Test cigarette 3 had bands based on another technology. The banded papers are representative of current marketed technologies. Rats were exposed to humidified HEPA filtered air (Sham) or to MS at concentrations of 0.06, 0.20, or 0.80 mg wet total particulate matter per liter air. Each exposure group contained 30 animals/sex (sentinel had 20 animals/sex). The study had two phases (13 weeks each): MS exposure (1 h/day, 5 days/week) and recovery without smoke exposure. Endpoints included clinical observations, respiratory physiology, hematology, serum chemistry, blood carboxyhemoglobin (COHb), serum nicotine, body/organ weights, gross pathology, and histopathology. Comparisons conducted were: Sham exposed vs. all cigarettes, Control cigarette vs. all Test cigarettes, and Test 1 vs. Test 2. Control and Test MS had comparable effects on respiratory physiology, COHb, serum nicotine, serum chemistry, and hematology. While some minor differences were observed, Control and Test MS had comparable effects on clinical signs, body/organ weights, and gross pathology/histopathology. Consequently, exposure of rats to equivalent MS concentrations from the four cigarettes induced similar toxicological responses in this study.

Safety assessment of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as an ingredient added to cigarette tobacco.

A tiered testing strategy has been developed to evaluate the potential for new ingredients, tobacco processes, and technological developments to alter the biological activity that results from burning tobacco. A series of studies was initially conducted with cigarettes containing 3% high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as an alternate tobacco casing material to corn syrup/invert sugar, including determination of selected mainstream cigarette smoke (MS) constituent yields, Ames assay, sister chromatid exchange (SCE) assay in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, a 30-week dermal tumor-promotion evaluation of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) in SENCAR mice, and a 13-week subchronic inhalation study of MS in Sprague-Dawley rats. A second series of studies was conducted with cigarettes containing 3%, 4% and 5% HFCS including MS chemistry, Ames assay, SCE assay in CHO cells, and a neutral red cytotoxicity assays. Collectively, mainstream smoke chemistry, genotoxicity, dermal tumor-promotion, and inhalation toxicity studies demonstrated no differences between cigarettes with 3% HFCS and cigarettes with 3% corn syrup/invert sugar. Also, mainstream smoke chemistry and genotoxicity of cigarettes with 4% and 5% HFCS were not different from cigarettes with 3% HFCS. In conclusion, the addition of up to 5% HFCS to cigarette does not alter the mainstream smoke chemistry or biological activity of mainstream smoke or mainstream smoke condensate as compared to cigarettes with 3% corn syrup/invert sugar with regard to the parameters investigated and presented.