Abstract
During a sub-chronic dermal toxicity study, hepatic and ocular toxicity were detected unrelated to the compound being tested. The changes in the liver were characterized by hepatic centrilobular degeneration and fibrosis due to chronic passive congestion. Clinical chemistry results confirmed the active hepatic damage and cholestasis. The ocular changes were limited to the retina where diffuse retinal atrophy was seen originating adjacent to the optic nerve and progressing centrifugally. It is suggested that as a consequence of the bandaging technique, a state of passive congestion and cholestasis resulted. The decrease in flow of bile acids to the intestine caused disturbances in vitamin E absorption. The deficiency of the antioxidant vitamin was responsible for the retinal changes seen.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bancroft JD and Stevenes A (1972) Theory and practice of histological techniques. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, London, New York
Belhorn (1980) Lighting in the animal environment. Lab Anim Sci 30: 440–447
Cornelius CE (1989) Liver function. In: Kaneko JJ (ed) Clinical biochemistry of domestic animals, 4th edn. Academic Press, San Diego, New York, pp 381–382
Environmental Protection Agency (US)(1984) Assessment guidelines subdivision F. Hazard evaluation — human and domestic animals. USEPA office of pesticides and toxic substances. US Government Printing Office, Washington DC. EPA 540/09-84-014. Repeated dose dermal toxicity; 90 day study, pp 83–92
Friedrich W (1988) Vitamins. Walter-De-Gruyter, Berlin, New York, pp 263–267
Gennaro AR (1990) Remington's pharmaceutical science. Mark Publishing Co., Easton, Pennsylvania, pp 1008–1009
German Society of Clinical Chemistry (1972) Z Klin Chem Klin Biochem 10: 281–291
Hayes KC (1974) Retinal degenteration in monkeys induced by deficiencies of vitamin E and A. Invest Ophthalmol 13: 499–510
Heywood R (1986) The eye. In: Cohen GM (ed) Target organ toxicity, 2nd edn. CRC Press Inc., Boca Raton, Florida, pp 109–124
Katz ML, Parker KR, Nondelman GJ (1982) Structural and biochemical effects of antioxidant nutrient deficiency on the rat retina and retinal pigment epithelium. Ann NY Acad Sci 393: 196–197
Katz ML, Robinson WG (1986) Nutritional influence on auto-oxidation, lipofuscin accumulation and aging. In: Johnston JE, Wolford R, Harman D, Miquel (eds) Free radicals aging and degenerative diseases. Alan Liss, Inc., New York, pp 221–259
Kramer JW (1989) Clinical enzymology. In: Kaneko JJ (ed) Clinical biochemistry of domestic animals, 4th edn. Academic Press, San Diego, New York, pp 354–356
Larsen PD, Moch DM, O'Conner PS (1985) Vitamin E deficiency associated with vision loss and bulbar weakness. Ann Neurol 18: 725–727
Lee EW, Render JA, Garner CD, Brady AN, Li LC (1990) Unilateral degeneration of retina and optic nernve in Fischer rats. Vet Pathol 27: 439–444
Nyska A, Bar Ishak YR, Askenasy D, Friedman J, Kashman Y, Lelyveld J (1984) Retinal atropy in albino rats associated with Pituranthos triradiatus (Umbelliferae) induced photosensitization. Vet Pathol 21: 551–552
Nyska A, Waner T, Pirak M, Albeck M, Sredni B (1989) Toxicity study in rats of a tellurium based immunomodulating drug, AS-101: a potential drug for AIDS and cancer patients. Arch Toxicol 63: 386–393
O'Steen WK, Bodish A (1985) Neuronal damage in the rat retina after chronic stress. Brain Res 344: 231–239
Perlmutter DH, Gross P, Jones HR, Fulton A, Grand RJ (1987) Intramuscular vitamin E repletion in children with chronic cholestasis Am J Dis Child 141: 170–174
Rao GN (1991) Light intensity-associated eye lesions of Fischer 344 rats in long term studies. Toxicol Pathol 19: 148–155
Review (1980) The effect of deficiency of vitamins E and A on the retina. Nutr Rev 38 [11]: pp 386–389
Riis RC, Sheffy BE, Loew E, Kern TJ, Smith JS (1981) Vitamin E deficiency retinopathy in dogs. Am J Vet Res 42: 74–86
Robbins SL, Cotran RS, Kumar V (1984) Pathologic basis of disease, 3rd edn. W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, London, Toronto, pp 24–25, 548–551
Robinson Jr WG, Kuwabara T, Bieri JG (1980) Deficiencies of Vitamin E and A in the rat. Retinal damage and lipofuscin accumulation. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 19: 1030–1037
Sokol RJ, Heubi JE, Iannaccone S, Bove KE, Balistreri WF (1983) Mechanism causing Vitamin E deficiency during chronic childhood cholestasis. Gastroenterology 85: 1172–1182
Spencer WH (1985) Retinal ischemia: vascular and circulatory conditions and diseases. In: Spencer WH (ed) Ophthalmic pathology. An atlas and textbook, 3rd edn. W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, London, pp 655–710
Szasz G (1969) A spectrophotometric method for serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. Clin Chem 15: 124–136
Taradach C, Greaves P (1983) Spontaneous eye lesions in laboratory animals: inicidence in relation to age. CRC Toxicol 12: 121–147
van der Woerdt A, Nasisse MP, Davidson MG (1991) Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration in the dog: clinical and laboratory findings in 36 cases. Prog Vet Comp Opthal 1: 11–18
Wolman M(1980) Lipid pigments (chromolipids): their origin, nature, and significance. Pathobiology Annual 10: 253–265
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The work was carried out at: Life Science Research, PO Box 139, Ness Ziona 70451, Israel and Department of Pharmacology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nyska, A., Waner, T., Wormser, U. et al. Possible pitfalls in rat extended dermal toxicity testing: An hepatic-ocular syndrome. Arch Toxicol 66, 339–346 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01973629
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01973629