© 1996 Oxford University Press
research-article |
Subchronic Toxicity and Teratogenicity of 2-Chloro-1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HCFC-124)


*E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Haskell Laboratory for Toxicology and Industrial Medicine Newark, Delaware 19714
Pharmacot LSR, Inc P.O. Box 2360, Mettlers Road, East Millstone, New Jersey 08875-2360
AlliedSignal Inc Morristown, New Jersey 07962
Received October 5, 1995; accepted March 27, 1996
Inhalation studies were conducted to determine the potential toxicity of HCFC124. Groups of rats and mice were exposed to HCFC-124 6 hr/day, 5 days/week for 13 weeks at 0, 5000, 15,000, and 50,000 ppm. Subgroups of rats and mice were held for a 1month recovery period. A functional observational battery (FOB) was conducted on rats at 0, 4, 8, 13, and 16 weeks. Clinical pathology evaluations were conducted at 7, 13, and 17 weeks. Thirteen or 17 weeks after study initiation, rats and mice underwent gross and microscopic evaluation, and livers were evaluated for hepatic betaoxidation activity. In addition, groups of female rats and rabbits were exposed to HCFC-124 by inhalation during gestation to 0, 5000, 15,000, or 50,000 ppm. Exposure of rats and mice to HCFC-124 caused minimal compoundrelated effects. Compoundrelated changes occured in several clinical pathology parameters in rats and mice. Hepatic betaoxidation activity was significantly higher in 5000, 15,000, and 50,000 ppm male mice; however, there were no compoundrelated effects on betaoxidation activity in rats. During the daily exposures, rats, mice, and rabbits exposed to 50,000 ppm were less responsive to auditory stimuli or less active compared to controls. At the 13week FOB, male rats exposed to 15,000 or 50,000 ppm had decreased arousal. There were no compoundrelated effects on mortality, clinical signs, ocular tis sues, hematology parameters, organ weights, and tissue morphol ogy at any concentration in rats or mice. Maternal toxicity in rats was evident by a significant decrease in weight gain and food consumption at 50,000 ppm. Similarly, 50,000 ppm pregnant rab bits had lower food consumption. However, for both rats and rab bits, there was no evidence of fetal toxicity at any concentration.