EFFECTS OF DIETHYLENETRIAMINE DIHYDROCHLORIDE FOLLOWING 13 WEEKS OF DIETARY DOSING IN FISCHER-344 RATS

Fischer 344 rats were fed a diet containing the dihydrochloride salt o f diethylenetriamine (DETA.2HCl) at concentrations of 1000, 7500 or 15 ,000 ppm for 90 consecutive days. Based on food consumption and body w eight, the mean corresponding dosages were 70, 530 and 1060 mg/kg/day for the males and 80, 620 and 1210 mg/kg/day for the females. Decrease s in food consumption were observed intermittently throughout the dosi ng period in both sexes at 15,000 ppm. Dose-related decreases in body weight or weight gain were observed for both sexes at 7500 and 15,000 ppm. Changes in clinical pathology measurements observed at 7500 and 1 5,000 ppm included increases in mean corpuscular volume and mean corpu scular haemoglobin in males, and increases in mean corpuscular volume, total leucocytes and urinary pH, and a decrease in serum glucose conc entration in females. The relative kidney, brain and testes weights we re increased in the 15,000 ppm males. In the females, the relative kid ney, brain and liver weights were increased at 7500 and 15,000 ppm, an d the relative heart and adrenal weights were elevated at 15,000 ppm. There were no treatment-related clinical signs, gross autopsy or histo pathological findings for either sex at any dose level. Animals improv ed only slightly from the effects of treatment following a 4-wk recove ry period. A no-observable-effect level of 1000 ppm DETA.2HCl in the d iet was established in this subchronic toxicity study. (C) 1997 Elsevi er Science Ltd.