Toxicologic Pathology

Exposure of rat embryos to 3,3-dimethyl-1-phenyltriazene (DMPT) results in numerous malformations, but the urogenital system is not affected. In contrast, exposure of rat fetuses to DMPT has been reported to result in renal neoplasms, which were not further classified. To better understand this discrepancy in organotropism of the teratogenic and transplacental carcinogenic processes, the present study was undertaken to characterize the neoplasms induced in rat fetuses exposed to DMPT in utero. Renal neoplasms and persistent mesenchyme were observed in 19.2 and 11.5%, respectively, of the offspring of rats treated with 1 mg DMPT/ kg body weight intraperitoneally on gestation days 16, 18, and 20. The majority of these renal lesions were observed in females. The renal neoplasms were mixtures of various types of mesenchymal tissue derivatives including smooth muscle and fibrous connective tissue. These neoplasms would be classified as renal mesenchymal tumors in rats. Brain neoplasms (numerous types), compound odontomas, and micrognathism were observed predominantly in male offspring from the same group. This treatment also resulted in decreased body weights, increased incidence of sudden loss of body weight, tremors and ataxia, and hypoplastic testes. Exposure to single intraperitoneal doses of DMPT on gestation day 20 did not produce a classic dose-response pattern: Minimal effects were observed with 10 mg DMPT/kg (occasional renal mesenchymal tumors and brain neoplasms), marked effects were observed with 30 mg DMPT/kg (lower incidence rate of most of the alterations observed with 1 mg/kg on gestation days 16, 18, and 20), and no effects were observed with 60 mg DMPT/kg. DMPT administered intraperitoneally at 1 mg/kg body weight on gestation days 16, 18, and 20 is an animal model of transplacental chemically induced renal neoplasms, which provide lesions with similarities to both intralobar nephrogenic rests and congenital mesoblastic nephroma of humans. Why the kidney is a carcinogenic target and not a teratogenic target remains unknown.

A recent study from our laboratory has shown that cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, is one of the most effective agents known for inducing hepatocytic transdifferentiation of the rat pancreas. With repeated injections of cadmium, the incidence of rats with pancreatic hepatocytic foci can be as high as 93%. Cadmium is also well known as a very potent inducer of metallothionein, a metal-binding protein that appears to be important in the biologic response to several toxic heavy metals in most tissues, including the pancreas. Therefore, the present study sought to determine if metallothionein was associated with cadmium-induced transdifferentiation of pancreatic cells. Expression of metallothionein was studied immunohistochemically by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method in tissue sections of the pancreas of rats with pancreatic hepatocytes. High levels of metallothionein were localized primarily within the pancreatic hepatocytes. Surrounding normal pancreatic islet and acinar cells were not immunoreactive. Thus, metallothionein is expressed actively in cells transdifferentiated to hepatocytes by cadmium within the pancreas.

A total of 93 tumors of the epidermis, its appendages, and dermis were observed in 1,433 (717 males, 716 females) rats employed in oncogenicity studies over a 2-yr period. Mammary gland neoplasms will be reported separately. Fifty-seven (61.3%) were epithelial with 49 in males and 8 in females. Keratoacanthoma was the most frequent epithelial neoplasm in males (22) followed by squamous cell carcinoma (11) and papilloma (5). Sebaceous gland neoplasms seen in males (5) included both adenomas (3) and carcinomas (2). In males, there were also 3 trichoepitheliomas, 1 pilomatricoma, 1 basal cell tumor, and 1 malignant melanoma. Of the 8 epithelial neoplasms in females, there were 3 squamous cell carcinomas, 2 keratoacanthomas, and 1 each basal cell tumor, malignant melanoma, and trichoepithelioma. There were 21 mesenchymal neoplasms in males and 15 in females. The most frequent neoplasm was fibroma (7 males, 8 females) followed by lipoma (7 males, 4 females) and fibrosarcoma (4 males, 3 females). One male had a liposarcoma and 2 males each had hemangioma. The total neoplasm incidence of 70/717 (9.8%) in males and 23/716 (3.2%) in females showed that skin neoplasms were 3 time more common in males than in females. Epithelial neoplasms of the skin were 6 times more common in males than in females. Males were more than twice as likely to have epithelial rather than mesenchymal skin neoplasms whereas the reverse was seen in females.

Sequential light microscopic and ultrastructural examination of kidneys from male and light microscopic examination of female Mongolian gerbils given 250 mg 2-bromoethylamine hydrobromide (BEA)/kg body weight ip were performed. In addition, male Mongolian gerbils were treated with both BEA and ip injections of either water, dimethyl sulfoxide, piperonyl butoxide, or reserpine. Light microscopic renal lesions in male Mongolian gerbils progressed from congestion of the vasa recta of the proximal inner medulla at 6 hr post-treatment to total renal papillary necrosis (RPN) at 24 hr post-treatment. There was no sex difference in sensitivity to BEA. Ultrastructural alterations in male gerbils were restricted to the vasa recta. Vascular lesions of endothelial swelling and pericapillary edema in the vasa recta of the proximal inner medulla was observed 2 hr post-treatment and progressed to occlusion by platelets adherent to exposed basement membranes at 6 hr post-treatment. Diuresis induced by injections of saline and injections of dimethyl sulfoxide or piperonyl butoxide did not affect the development of BEA-induced RPN. Reserpine slowed the development of BEA-induced RPN by its vasodilatory effect on the renal vasculature, not by blocking the endothelial toxicity of BEA. RPN induced by BEA in the Mongolian gerbil is apparently an ischemic necrosis of the inner medulla that develops secondary to endothelial damage of the vasa recta.

This study evaluates whether or not some of the benzodiazepines would influence the binding of L-tryptophan to rat hepatic nuclei or nuclear envelopes. Previous publications have indicated that binding of L-tryptophan to hepatic nuclear envelope proteins was saturable, stereospecific, and of high affinity. In this study, we investigated whether some of the benzodiazepines would influence L-tryptophan binding to rat hepatic nuclei or nuclear envelopes as assayed by in vitro L-(5-³H) tryptophan binding. Our results indicate that the addition of chlordiazepoxide, diazepam, prazepam, flurazepam, nordazepam, N-desalkylflurazepam, temazepam, oxazepam, lorazepam, or 4-chlorodiazepam has little influence on the L-(5-3H) tryptophan binding to hepatic nuclei in vitro. However, the addition of demoxepam, the N-desalkylated compound of chlordiazepoxide, caused marked competition with ³H-tryptophan binding to hepatic nuclei in vitro. When chlordiazepoxide (1 mg/100 g body weight) is administered intraperitoneally 20 min before killing, the isolated hepatic nuclei reveal decreased specific L-tryptophan binding compared to controls. Also, rats pretreated with chlordiazepoxide intraperitoneally before tube-feeding L-tryptophan revealed diminished tryptophan-induced hepatic nuclear RNA efflux and protein synthesis. Our results suggest that chlordiazepoxide, possibly by itself or through a metabolite, can act to affect hepatic nuclear binding of L-tryptophan and to inhibit the stimulatory effect of L-tryptophan on hepatic protein synthesis.

Groups of young, sexually mature Fischer-344 rats (n = 25/sex) obtained from 3 commercial breeders were examined ophthalmologically and histopathologically to determine the prevalence and severity of corneal basement membrane lesions (corneal dystrophy) and basement membrane changes in select nonocular tissues. Results disclosed a high incidence of corneal basement membrane dystrophy in rats of both sexes from all breeders; however, severity levels were significantly increased in rats obtained from one breeder when compared to others. Furthermore, rats that displayed the most advanced corneal lesions also exhibited more severe basement membrane changes in other organs, especially renal tubules and vascular internal laminae. These findings suggest that both ocular and nonocular dystrophic changes may have been linked through common physiologic (or genetic) mechanisms. Animals that displayed basement membrane lesions were not considered to represent compromised biologic test systems.

The antiviral nucleoside analogue 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (ddC) is a DNA chain terminator and/or inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reverse transcriptase. We evaluated the effects of ddC in 36 New Zealand white rabbits. Three/sex were assigned to a control group and 5 treatment groups (10-250 mg/kg/ day) for 13 or 18 weeks. Blood samples were taken 1 week prior to treatment and weekly thereafter to termination with the exception of the 2 highest dose groups, where blood sample collection was terminated at week 13. Selected hematological analytes were measured weekly with the exception of prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT). PT and APTT and selected biochemical analytes were measured prior to treatment, at 7 weeks, and after 13 weeks of treatment. All rabbits were necropsied. Giemsa and hematoxylin and eosin sections were prepared from methacrylate-embedded marrow. Hematological effects included decreases in red blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and white blood cell count and increases in mean corpuscular volume and red cell distribution width. Platelets, platelet volume, PT, APTT, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration values were variable or unchanged. Effects were dose-related, most were seen at 1 week, and they persisted to term. Bone marrow histopathologic changes included megalocytosis, erythroid hypoplasia, bizarre erythroid nuclear morphology, nuclear-cytoplasmic asynchrony, and increased mitotic figures. Lymphopenia caused by ddC plateaued at 2 weeks and persisted until termination. Heteropenia (neutropenia) was sporadic. Biochemical values for serum analytes were unchanged by treatment. The principal hematological effect of ddC upon the erythron was characterized as a nonregenerative macrocytic anemia with erythroid hypoplasia and megaloblastic erythropoiesis. We consider the anemia to be of bone marrow origin because of the morphologic changes observed here and produced by the effect of ddC on DNA synthesis in erythroid precursors and/or stromal cells.

This study was conducted to investigate the initial tissue damage, morphogenesis, and reversibility of nasal lesions induced by the inhalation of dibasic esters (DBE). Young male rats were exposed, nose-only, to an aerosol/vapor mixture of DBE at a concentration of 5,900 mg/m3 for 4 hr and subsequently killed at 1, 4, 7, 14, 21, and 42 days after exposure. Nasal lesions were distributed along major inspiratory airflow routes. Widespread epithelial denudation occurred in the anterior nasal cavity, but the lesions were confined to the dorsal meatus, adjacent the nasal septum, and the lateral middle meatus in the mid-anterior nasal cavity. The lesions were markedly less severe in the posterior nasal cavity and sharply confined to the tips of dorsal ethmoturbinates and adjacent nasal septum. The damaged cuboidal/nonciliated and respiratory epithelium in the anterior nasal cavity regained a normal structure by 4 and 7 days postexposure, respectively. The regeneration of damaged olfactory epithelium was related to the severity of initial tissue damage. Slightly damaged epithelium regained a normal appearance within 1-2 weeks, but the extensively denuded epithelium of the dorsal meatus in the anterior nasal cavity failed to regain a normal structure by 6 weeks. The sustentacular cells of the olfactory epithelium appeared to be the initial site of DBE nasal injury. In the early stages of regeneration, the epithelium was repaired by proliferating stem cells derived from basal cells. Numerous mitotic figures and bromodeoxyuridine labeling were found in the regenerating basal cells, stem cells, and sustentacular cells at 4 and 7 days. As repair processes advanced, the numbers of olfactory neurons and vesicles were increased with a proportional decrease in stem cells.

There are many reasons for developing in vitro tests of toxicity including cost, speed, studies of mechanisms, and studies utilizing human cells and tissues. The present study focuses on the development of in vitro tests to predict in vivo toxicity by comparing them to data from the literature. A broad spectrum of model toxic compounds was evaluated for toxicity on mouse skin JB6 cells in culture. These included mercuric chloride, sodium lauryl sulfate, formaldehyde, dimethyl sulfoxide, benzoyl peroxide, and ionomycin, all of which have been proven to be positive in the Draize test or in cutaneous toxicity studies. Cell viability was evaluated every 15 min for up to 1 hr, and then after 24 hr of treatment using the Trypan Blue exclusion method; morphological changes were evaluated using phase-contrast and transmission electron microscopy. Dose-and time-dependent cell death and morphological changes were observed at concentrations ranging from 10^-14 to 10^-2 M. Arbitrary rankings were assigned based on 1) IC ₅₀ value estimated from the present data, and 2) in vivo toxicity reported in the Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances. Good correlation between in vitro and in vivo toxicity based on arbitrary rankings was observed. Thus, these findings suggest that the JB6 cell culture model can be used for predicting in vivo toxicity. In the future, it may be possible to utilize this system for the study of intracellular ionized calcium ([Ca²⁺]₁), and the expression of oncogenes as early indicators of toxicity.

Aluminum lactate, injected in rats, produced skeletal muscle necrosis of diaphragm and abdominal wall subjacent to peritoneal surfaces. Deeper muscle cells (distal from inoculum) were less severely affected. Ultrastructural studies of diaphragm revealed inoculum coating collagen fibrils, aggregating next to muscle basal lamina and localized within phagocytes. Aluminum lactate penetrated lymphatic vessels and caused reactive changes on the pleural as well as peritoneal surfaces of diaphragm. In contrast, injection of aluminum citrate did not produce myopathy. Also, mixtures of aluminum lactate with aluminum citrate, sodium citrate, or another chelating agent failed to produce myopathy. Therefore, the regional myopathy produced by the lactate salt provides a model for in vivo cytotoxicity of aluminum in which anionic binding is a critical determinant.

Chronic (24-month) inhalation exposure to 5 or 10 ppm allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) induced nasal lesions in Osborne-Mendel rats and B6C3F1 mice. Inflammation, degeneration, regeneration, metaplasia, hyperplasia, and neoplasia were observed in the nasal mucosa. Squamous metaplasia and hyperplasia of the respiratory epithelium and degeneration and regeneration with subsequent squamous and/or respiratory metaplasia of the olfactory epithelium were observed in many AGE-exposed animals. Three primary nasal neoplasms (1 papillary adenoma, 1 squamous cell carcinoma, and 1 olfactory epithelial carcinoma) were observed in rats exposed to 10 ppm AGE, and 1 nasal papillary adenoma was observed in a rat exposed to 5 ppm. Four papillary adenomas and 2 hemangiomas were observed in the noses of mice exposed to 10 ppm AGE. Although the incidence of primary nasal tumors in AGE-exposed rats or mice was not statistically significant compared to the incidence in concurrent controls, the relative rarity of primary nasal tumors in historical controls and the concurrent presence of metaplastic and hyperplastic nasal lesions similar to those reported to be associated with induced tumors of nasal epithelia by other chemicals suggest that the nasal tumors observed may be related to AGE exposure. It was concluded that, in addition to lesions indicating a toxic effect on the nasal mucosa, inhalation exposure to AGE for 24 months resulted in some evidence of carcinogenicity of AGE for male mice, equivocal evidence of carcinogenicity for female mice and male rats, and no evidence of carcinogenicity for female rats.

This investigation compared the effects of feeding rats diets containing food grade white oil processed by either conventional oleum treatment or the more modem method of catalytic hydrogenation. In two separate experiments, male or female Fischer-344 rats were given free access for 90 days to diets containing 0, 10, 100, 500, 5,000, 10,000, or 20,000 ppm of either oleum-treated white oil (OTWO) or hydrotreated white oil (HTWO). There were no mortalities and no adverse clinical signs associated with feeding either white oil. Treatment-related effects evidenced by hematological, clinical chemical, and pathological changes were generally dose-related and more marked in female than in male rats, and the OTWO caused a greater pathological response than the HTWO. Tissue residues of saturated hydrocarbons were up to 5.2 times higher in female rats than in males. Rats fed 5,000 ppm or more of either white oil showed dose-related alterations in several hematological and clinical chemistry variates associated mainly with hepatic damage or functional alteration. At necropsy, mesenteric lymph nodes were enlarged, and increases in weight of liver, kidney, and spleen were significant. Microscopic changes were characterized by multifocal lipogranulomata in mesenteric lymph node and liver. No changes were observed in rats fed OTWO or HTWO for 90 days at dietary concentrations of 10 or 100 ppm, equivalent to a minimum intake of 0.65 and 6.4 mg/kg/day, respectively. Differences in degree of pathological response associated with each oil may have been due to their differences in specification rather than processing method.

A class effect of quinolone antibacterial agents observed during animal toxicity testing is a specific arthropathy (QAP). Despite the growing list of laboratory animals susceptible to QAP and reports of arthralgia in patients treated with quinolones, the potential for QAP development in humans remains unknown. This review discusses current concepts in the biology of articular cartilage and how these concepts elucidate QAP pathogenesis. Biomechanical forces within synovial joints and toxicokinetic properties of quinolones contribute to QAP induction. Since a limited number of mechanistic pathways exist for acute articular damage, QAP may serve as a research tool to probe the pathobiology of injury to articular cartilage.