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U.S. Department of Energy
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Pathologic findings in laboratory animals exposed to hydrocarbon fuels of military interest

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5677364
Male and female Fischer-344 rats and female C57/BL6 mice were subjected to subchronic and chronic inhalation exposures to a variety of distillate and synthetic hydrocarbon fuels of military interest. In general, male rats exposed to all agents developed a dose-related nephropathy which was not observed in females, controls, or exposed mice. Kidney lesions consisted of greatly increased cytoplasmic hyaline droplets in proximal tubular epithelium, necrosis of proximal tubular cells, and intratubular plugs of necrotic cell debris at the junction of the outer and inner stripe of the outer medulla. Following exposure, males that were held for lifetime oncogenic evaluation exhibited abundant mineralized casts in medullary tubules, multifocal to diffuse papillary hyperplasia of pelvic urothelium, and accentuated tubular degeneration compatible with progressive nephrosis of old rats. Male rats exposed six hours/day, five days/week for one year to two synthetic hydrocarbon missile fuels had significant increases in renal cell tumors, whereas males exposed for 90 days continuously to various distillate fuels failed to develop increased kidney neoplasia following lifespan observation. The pathogenic mechanisms remain unclear, but it is proposed that kidney changes may be related to an inability of renal tubular cells to efficiently digest resorbed alpha 2u globulin - a special protein of male rats which is synthesized in the liver.
Research Organization:
Naval Medical Research Inst., Bethesda, MD (USA)
OSTI ID:
5677364
Report Number(s):
AD-A-166343/4/XAB; NMRI-84-76
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English