| Abstract: | A 90-day oral toxicity test in rats was performed to evaluate the toxicity of
2-tetradecylcyclobutanone (2-tDCB), a unique radiolytic product of stearic acid.
Six-week-old male and female F344 rats (n=15/group) were given 2-tDCB at concentrations of
0, 12, 60 and 300 ppm in a powder diet for 13 weeks. Slight dose-dependent increases in
serum total protein and albumin in male rats were found, but these changes were not
considered to be a toxic effect. The fasting, but not non-fasting, blood glucose levels of
the male rats in the 300 ppm group and female rats in the 60 and 300 ppm groups were lower
than those of the controls. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed
dose-dependent accumulation of 2-tDCB in adipose tissue, notably in males. Next, we
performed an azoxymethane (AOM)-induced two-stage carcinogenesis study. After injection of
6-week-old male F344 rats (n=30/group) once a week for 3 weeks, the animals received
2-tDCB at concentrations of 0, 10, 50 and 250 ppm in a powder diet for 25 weeks. The
incidences of colon tumors for the 2-tDCB dosages were 34%, 45%, 40% and 37%,
respectively, and were not statistically significant. These data suggest that 2-tDCB shows
no toxic or tumor-modifying effects under the present conditions, and that the
no-observed-adverse-effect level for 2-tDCB is 300 ppm in both sexes, equivalent to 15.5
mg/kg b.w./day in males and 16.5 mg/kg b.w./day in females. |
