Determination of the Chronic Mammalian Toxicological Effects of TNT. Twenty-Six Week Subchronic Oral Toxicity Study of Trinitrotoluene (TNT) in the Beagle Dog

摘要

This study was conducted to evaluate the toxicity of the munitions compound 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT; CAS Reg. No. 118-96-7) in beagle dogs when administered daily for 26 weeks by capsule. Groups of six dogs per sex received TNT at doses of 0 (vehicle controls), 0.5, 2, 8, or 32 mg/kg/day. Toxicologic endpoints included clinical signs, body weights, food consumption, clinical chemistry, hematology, urinalyses, organ weights, and gross and tissue morphology. The major toxic effects following the oral administration of TNT to dogs included hemolytic anemia, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly with accompanying histologic lesions, and death. Only the highest dose given (32 mg/kg/day) proved to be lethal. Hepatic cloudy swelling and hepatocytomegalia were apparent at all doses tested, thus a no observable effect level was not established in the present study. (Author)