Subacute and Subchronic Oral Toxicity of p-Chlorotoluene in the Rat
p-Chlorotoluene was administered by corn oil gavage for 14 and 90 days to male and female Sprague-Dawley-derived rats at dosages of 200, 600, and 1800 mg/kg per day and 50, 200, and 800 mg/kg per day, respectively. In the 14-day study, 8 of 10 animals of each sex in the high-dose group died due to treatment. Other treatment-related signs for these animals included an adverse effect upon body weight and clinical signs of salivation, tremors, and prostration. In the 200 and 600 mg/kg per day groups there were no apparent treatment-related effects. In the 90-day study, 4 of 10 males and 2 of 10 females in the high-dose group died due to treatment. Other signs for this treatment group included an adverse effect upon body weight and clinical signs of languid behavior, prostration, tremors, sensitivity to touch, epistaxis, and respiratory distress. Increases in alkaline phosphatase and creatinine (males only), and increases in adrenal (absolute and relative, females), kidney (relative, both sexes), and liver (relative, both sexes) weights were also noted. Histopathologic findings of centrilobular hepatocellular hypertrophy, adrenal cortical hyperplasia, and exacerbation of chronic progressive nephropathy confirmed the clinical laboratory and organ weight results as being treatment related for the animals receiving 800 mg/kg per day for 90 days. Animals receiving 50 or 200 mg/kg per day (90 days) did not exhibit treatment-related findings.