Acute toxicity, primary irritancy, and genetic toxicity studies with 3-(methylthio)propionaldehyde

Basic acute toxicity, primary irritancy, and genetic toxicity studies were conducted with 3-(methylthio)propionaldehyde (3-MTP). The acute rat peroral LD50 (with 95% confidence limits) for 3-MTP as a 25% (v/v) dilution in cor n oil was 1.00 (0.59-1.70) ml/kg (males) and 1.68 (0.95-2.99) ml/kg (female s); most deaths occurred 1.5 to 4 h postdosing. By 24-h occluded contact wi th undiluted 3-MTP, the rabbit acute percutaneous LD50 was 0.71 (0.43-1.15) ml/kg (males) and 0.79 (0.43-1.30) ml/kg (females); times to death ranged from 2 h to 2 d after the start of dosing. Exposure of rats to a statically generated saturated atmosphere killed all 5 males with a 40 min exposure a nd all 5 females with a 24 min exposure. In contrast, a 4-h exposure of rat s to a dynamically generated saturated vapor atmosphere of 3-MTP did not pr oduce any mortalities or signs of toxicity. A 4-hr occluded contact with 0. 5 mi undiluted 3-MTP caused moderate to severe erythema and severe edema re solving by 7 to 17 d. Five/6 animals had necrosis apparent on removal of th e occlusive dressing and persisting 10 to 17 d. On the rabbit eye, 0.1 mi u ndiluted 3-MTP produced moderate to severe corneal injury with iritis and m oderate conjunctival inflammation which persisted 21 d in 3/6 animals; 0.01 mi caused moderate diffuse corneal injury and moderate conjunctival inflam mation with healing by 7 d. 3-MTP did not produce mutagenic activity either in the absence or presence of metabolic activation with a Salmonella typhi murium reverse mutation assay using strains TA38, TA100, TA1535, TA1537 and TA1538. In a mouse lymphoma cell (L5178Y/tk+/-) assay, 3-MTP produced conc entration-related increases in mutant colonies, both in the absence and pre sence of metabolic activation. Increases were mainly in the sigma (chromoso mal damaging) colonies. In a mouse bone marrow micronucleus study, with vap or exposures to 37.4, 88.5 and 155.6 ppm for I h/d for 2 consecutive d, the re were exposure concentration-related increases in micronucleated erythroc ytes which were statically significant for male mice.