In previous subchronic studies inhaled N-vinylpyrrolidone-2 (NVP) was haemotoxic, hepatotoxic and irritant to the nose. In the first of two long-term studies, study A, Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed by inhalation to 0, 5, 10 or 20 ppm NVP (6 hr/day, 5 days/wk) for 24 months. Satellite groups were killed after 3, 12 or 24 months. In study B, female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 0 or 45 ppm NVP for 3 months and killed at 3 or 12 and 24 months post-exposure. In study A, survival was unaffected, but reduced body weight gain, haemotoxicity, effects on clinical chemistry parameters indicative of hepatotoxicity, increased liver weight, hepatocellular carcinomas, necrosis, reparative hyperplasia, adenomas and adenocarcinomas of the nasal cavity, and squamous cell carcinomas of the larynx were seen. Increased tumour incidence was seen only in the liver and upper respiratory tract. In study B, the effect of NVP on body weight evident at 3 months disappeared before 1 yr, but effects on liver pathology persisted throughout the subsequent 21-month exposure-free period, and a few liver tumours were seen at 2 yr. As NVP gave negative results in a battery of in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity tests, it appears that the tumours that arose were manifestations of a non-genotoxic mechanism.

Adenoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Subchronic inhalation and oral toxicity of N-vinylpyrrolidone-2. Studies in rodents.

N-Vinylpyrrolidone-2 (NVP) is a monomeric compound used as an industrial intermediate. Nine of 11 studies previously reported involved exposure of rats (two different strains), mice or hamsters to NVP by the inhalation route at concentrations of up to 120 ppm (6 hr/day, 5 days/wk) over a period of 1 wk to 12 months. The remaining two studies involved exposure of rats to NVP through the drinking water or by gavage at dose levels of up to 100 mg/kg body weight/day. Reduced body weight gain was seen in rats exposed by inhalation to 5 ppm or more for 3 months and in mice and hamsters exposed to 45 ppm for only 1 day. Effects were seen on haematological (reduced haemoglobin, erythrocyte count, haematocrit) and clinical chemistry parameters (specially raised gamma-glutamyltransferase activity and decreases in plasma protein), liver weight increase and liver lesions (centrilobular single-cell necrosis and foci of hepatocellular alteration) in rats and mice but not hamsters. Rats exposed to 40 mg/kg body weight/day NVP or more for 3 months by gavage developed similar liver changes. Atrophy of olfactory epithelium and hyperplasia of nasal respiratory epithelium was seen in rats exposed by inhalation to 5 ppm NVP for 7 wk but not in response to 1 ppm for 13 wk (no observed-adverse-effect level, NOAEL). These studies indicated that the upper respiratory tract and the liver are the main targets for NVP toxicity.

Administration, Inhalation↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Review of risk factors for osteoporosis with particular reference to a possible aetiological role of dietary salt.

Laboratory animal, clinical and epidemiological studies in the published literature have been reviewed in order to establish whether excessive salt intake is an important risk factor for the development of osteoporosis and whether an intervention strategy based on salt restriction would be beneficial in the prevention of osteoporosis. Genetic factors appear to be far more important than the combination of nutritional, hormonal, environmental and lifestyle factors in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. The most important single non-genetic factor is oestrogen deficiency in postmenopausal women. Preventive measures should be aimed at maximizing peak bone mass at skeletal maturity and retarding bone loss thereafter. Apart from postmenopausal oestrogen deficiency, various factors have been incriminated as risk factors for osteoporosis, and these include age at menarche, age at and years since menopause, insufficient physical exercise, alcohol, smoking, low calcium intake, low or high protein intake and high intake of phosphorus, sodium or caffeine. Many of the risk factors are considered to be weak, although when combined they could impact significantly on bone health. Increased intakes of various nutritional factors (potassium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin C), fibre and alkaline-producing fruit and vegetables favour adult bone health. Calcium homeostasis is normally well regulated such that increased calcium loss via the urine leads to increased calcium absorption from the gut. However, the duration of this adaptive process may be greater than that of many of the studies demonstrating that increased salt intake leads to both increased sodium and calcium in the urine. In any case, higher urinary calcium output appears to be seen only in a minority of humans in response to increased salt intake. As numerous factors-genetic, nutritional, hormonal and lifestyle-are involved in the maintenance of calcium homeostasis, it is difficult to devise human studies which adequately take into account all the important factors. Another difficulty is that many past studies have relied on imprecise methods for the measurement of bone resorption. Nor have studies based on the use of the laboratory rat produced clear answers to the problem because the rat, as a species, is uniquely deficient in its ability to handle the relevant minerals. Limited studies to date indicate that increased sodium intake neither exerts a consistent effect on various biomarkers of bone health nor leads to irreversible changes in the bone modelling process in men or in pre- or postmenopausal women. We conclude from the available evidence that increased sodium (or salt) intake is not an important risk factor for osteoporosis and that a reduction of salt intake from 9 to 6g/day in the diet would not be beneficial as an intervention measure in the prevention of osteoporosis. More research is needed to (i) assess the effects (especially long-term) of various nutrients including sodium on bone health, (ii) assess the long-term value of any intervention strategy involving reduced intake of a particular nutrient such as sodium; and (iii) determine whether subpopulations exist particularly in the elderly (e.g. sodium-responsive subjects) in which adaptation to sodium-induced hypercalciuria may be compromised. General prudence dictates that excessively high levels of dietary salt should be eschewed by those persons with raised blood pressure or a limited range of genetic disorders. However, for the generally healthy person there is no sound evidence that the consumption of salt at the present average level of 9g/day constitutes a risk factor for osteoporosis.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Testing for carcinogenicity and the problem of pseudocarcinogenicity.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Aetiology of breast cancer: a brief review.

Cancer of the human breast is probably a group of diseases which have different causes. Changes in hormonal status that increase breast cancer risk probably do so by 'promoting' tumour development rather than by 'initiating' it. Exogenous oestrogens seem to act as tumour promoters in this context, but there is to date no evidence that oral contraceptives, some of which contain oestrogens in low dosage, increase breast cancer risk. On the contrary, they appear to reduce the incidence of benign breast tumours. Prolactin-release is associated with increased mammary tumour incidence in rats but not in humans. There is no evidence that viruses or exposure to hair-dyes increase breast cancer risk. The fact that slight dietary restriction can dramatically reduce mammary tumour incidence in rats, suggests that dietary factors should be looked at more closely in the search for aetiological factors in man.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Safety evaluation of toothpaste containing chloroform. I. Long-term studies in mice.

In three experiments, chloroform was administered to mice by gavage in a toothpaste base or in arachis oil, in doses up to 60 mg/kg/d on 6 days/wk for 8 wks. Control groups were left untreated or given vehicle only. In general, there were more survivors in chloroform-treated groups than in the controls. In the case of the males of three strains (C57BL, CBA and CF/1), treatment was associated with no adverse affect on the incidence of any type of neoplasm or any other parameter. In the males but not the females of a fourth strain (ICI) and in doses of 60 mg/kg/d but not of 17 mg/kg/d, exposure to chloroform in toothpaste base as a vehicle was associated with increased incidence of epithelial tumours of the kidney. A more pronounced effect of the same kind was seen in mice given 60 mg CHCl3/kg/d in an archis oil vehicle. This treatment was also associated with a higher incidence and severity of non-neoplastic renal disease. The mechanisms underlying the peculiar strain- and sex-specific susceptibility of ICI male mice to develop renal tumours when exposed to chloroform remain obcure; spontaneous renal tumours were also seen in vehicle control mice and possible ways in which this tendency may be enhanced by chloroform treatment are discussed. At the dose levels tested, namely 113 and 400 times average human exposure levels from the use of toothpaste (with 3.5 percent chloroform content), no adverse affect was seen in the liver and there was no increased incidence of liver tumours even in the higher liver tumour susceptible CBA strain. At the 17 mg CHCl3/kg/d level, equivalent to 113 times average human exposure from toothpaste use, no excess of renal tumours was seen even in males of the peculiarly susceptible ICI strain.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Safety evaluation of toothpaste containing chloroform. II. Long term studies in rats.

The results of a preliminary rangefinding 13-wk oral toxicity study and of two longer term studies on chloroform in toothpaste base are reported. Significant changes in serum enzymes and certain haemotological parameters were seen at the higher dose-levels in the rangefinding study. Intercurrent disease made it necessary to terminate the first long-term experiment prematurely after 1 yr. No evidence of serious toxicity was recorded. In the second long-term experiment, groups of 50 caesarian-derived SPF Sprague-Dawley rats of each sex received either the equivalent of 60 mg CHCl3/kg/d in toothpaste base or the vehicle only, by gavage on 6 d/wk for 80 wk and were then observed for up to a further 15 wk. Chloroform-treated rats of both sexes survived better than the controls, though both groups had a high incidence of non-neoplastic respiratory and renal disease. Female rats gave a consistent finding of decrease in plasma cholinesterase, shown to be related to activity against butyrylcholine but not acetyl-beta-methylcholine. Tumours of various sites were seen in 39 percent of chloroform-treated rats of both sexes examined histologically, compared with 38 percent of vehicle controls. There were no treatment-related effects on the incidence of liver or kidney tumours. Histologically-malignant mammary tumours were reported in more treated than control rats, but the difference in incidence was not statistically significant.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Safety evaluation of toothpaste containing chloroform. III. Long-term study in beagle dogs.

Beagle dogs were given chloroform in a toothpaste base orally in gelatin capsules on 6 d/wk for 7 1/2 yr, followed by a 20-24 wk recovery period. Groups of 16 males and females received 0.5 ml/kg/d of the vehicle (toothpaste without chloroform) and 8 dogs of each sex remained untreated. Treated groups comprised 8 dogs of each sex remained untreated. Treated groups comprised 8 dogs of each sex, receiving doses equivalent to 15 and 30 mg CHCl3/kg/d in the toothpaste vehicle; another group of the same size received an alternative non-chloroform toothpaste (0.5 ml/kg/d). Eleven of the 96 dogs died during the study, only two of these being in the CHCl3-treated groups. The only significant toxic response during treatment was a moderate rise in serum enzyme levels (e.g. SGPT), reaching a peak in the sixth year of the study and probably corresponding to minimal liver damage. Few Palpable growths were noted while the dogs were alive. "Fatty cysts" were seen in the liver of several dogs at post mortem possibly associated with the chloroform treatment but the distribution of a nodular change in the liver was not obviously dose related. A small number of macroscopic and microscopic neoplasms were seen; one dog in each chloroform-treated group had a malignant tumour but there were no tumours in the liver or kidney of any dog. Overall, exposure to chloroform in a toothpaste base was not associated with any effect on the incidence of any kind of neoplasm. From this and related studies in mice and rats, it is concluded that repeated exposure to chloroform (3.5 percent) in toothpaste is unlikely to result in any hazard to human health.

Animals↗