© 1997 Oxford University Press
research-article |
Chronic Toxicity and Carcinogenic Evaluation of Diisononyl Phthalate in Rats1
Exxon Biomedical Sciences, Inc. East Millstone, New Jersey 08875-2350
Received May 23, 1996; accepted January 9, 1997
Groups of 110 Fischer 344 rats/sex were fed diisononyl phthalate (DINP) at dietary levels of 0, 0.03, 0.3, and 0.6 wt% for periods up to 2 years. Interim sacrifices of 10 predesignated rats/sexsol;dose were at 6, 12, and 18 months with surviving animals sacrificed at 24 months. At study termination, survival was in excess of 60% for every group. At the mid or high dose, the following biological effects were noted: slight decreases in food consumption and body weight; slight increase in mortality; a dose-related increase in relative organ weights of liver and kidney; and some slight effects on urinalysis, hematologic, and clinical chemistry parameters. No peroxisome induction was observed in livers of treated rats compared with controls. No clear treatment-related nonneoplastic or neoplastic lesions were found. However, mononuclear cell leukemia (MNCL) and changes known to be associated with an increased incidence of MNCL were seen in the mid-dose and high-dose groups. A literature review suggests that MNCL is a common finding in aging F344 rats and that this increased incidence in rats treated with DINP is not relevant to man. A clear no-observed-effect level was demonstrated for all biological end points at a dietary level of 0.03 wt% or approximately 17 mgsol;kgsol;day of DINP.