HEMOTOXIC EFFECTS OF A DERMALLY APPLIED COAL COPROCESSING PRODUCT IN THE RAT

The present study was conducted as part of a larger project to determi ne the toxicity of dermally applied coal coprocessing products, Groups of male and female rats were administered, dermally, heavy gas oil II (HGOII) at 8.7, 20.8, 50.0 and 120 mg kg(-1) body wt. day(-1) for 91 days. A coal liquefaction product was given as positive control at 120 mg kg(-1) body wt. day(-1). Saline was used on control animals. At te rmination, the blood and bone marrow were taken from the animals and s ubjected to hematological examination. Dose-dependent hematological ef fects were seen in peripheral blood in HGOII-treated animals and consi sted of significantly reduced hemoglobin, hematocrit, red cell count a nd platelet count. Mean corpuscular volume was increased, along with m ean corpuscular hemoglobin, at the highest dose level. Red cell protop orphyrin, total iron and total iron binding capacity were also signifi cantly elevated at this dose level. Morphological analysis of blood sh owed increases in polychromatic red cells, schizocytes, Howell-Jolly b odies, injured cells, hypersegmented neutrophils and shift platelets p rimarily at the highest dose level. In addition, there was notable ani socytosis, microcytosis and macrocytosis. Quantitative bone marrow eva luation revealed a significant reduction in the myeloid/erythroid rati o for the three highest treatment levels of HGOII. These data indicate that the effect of HGOII on the hemopoietic system is a treatment-rel ated, partially compensated, hemolytic anemia. The apparent reduction in myelopoiesis may be compensated for by a concurrent increase in mar row volume.