Determination of the Chronic Mammalian Toxicological Effects of TNT (twenty-Four Month Chronic Toxicity/Carcinogenicity Study of Trinitrotoluene (TNT) in the B6C3F1 Hybrid Mouse). Volume 1

• Main Authors: Furedi, E M, Levine, Barry S, Sagartz, John W, Rac, Vladislava S, Lish, Paul M
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ammunition and Explosives; ANEMIAS; BODY WEIGHT; CANCER; CARCINOGENS; CHEMISTRY; CLINICAL MEDICINE; DIET; DOSAGE; FOOD CONSUMPTION; GAIN; HEMATOLOGY; LEUKEMIA; LIVER; LYMPHOCYTOSIS; LYMPHOMAS; MALES; MAMMALS; MICE; MORPHOLOGY(BIOLOGY); OPHTHALMOLOGY; ORGANS(ANATOMY); SEX; SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS; SPLEEN; TISSUES(BIOLOGY); TNT; TOXICITY; Toxicology; WEIGHT

This study was conducted to evaluate the toxicity of the munitions compounds 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in B6C3F1 hybrid mice when administered in their diet for up to 24 months. Groups of 75 mice per sex received TNT at doses of 0, 1.5, 10, or 70 mg/kg/day. Ten mice/sex/dose were sacrified following 6 and 12 months on test with surviving animals sacrified after 24 months of treatment. Toxicologic endpoints include clinical signs, body weights, food consumption, hematology, clinical chemistry, ophthalmology, organ weights, and gross and tissue morphology. The major toxic effects observed during the administration of 70 mg/kg/day of TNT to B6C3F1 mice for up to 24 months inlcuded anemia and probable hepatotoxicity. In addition, peripheral lymphocytosis and leukemia/ malignant lymphoma in spleen were apparent. A single instance of lymphocytosis was evident for males at the 10 mg/kg/day dose level. These animals also demonstrated a 5-7% reduction in body weight gain throughout the treatment period. This dose therefore appears to be minimally toxic, and the no-effect level under the conditions of the present study is 1.5 mg/kg/day.