Inhalation reproductive toxicology studies: Male dominant lethal study of n-hexane in Swiss (CD-1) mice: Final report

Technical Report · Mon Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6861431· OSTI ID:6861431

Mast, T J; Rommereim, R L; Evanoff, J J; Sasser, L B; Decker, J R; Stoney, K H; Weigel, R J; Westerberg, R B

The straight-chain hydrocarbon, n-hexane, is a volatile, ubiquitous solvent routinely used in industrial environments; consequently, the opportunity for industrial, environmental or accidental exposure to hexane vapors is significant. Although myelinated nerve tissue is the primary target organ of hexane, the testes have also been identified as being sensitive to hexacarbon exposure. The objective of this study was to evaluate male dominant lethal effects in Swiss (CD-1) mice after exposure to 0, 200, 1000, or 5000 ppM n-hexane, 20 h/day for 5 consecutive days. Each exposure concentration consisted of 30 randomly selected, proven male breeders; 4 groups. The mice were weighed just prior to the first day of exposure and at weekly intervals until sacrifice. Ten males in each dose group were sacrificed one day after the cessation of exposure, and their testes and epididymides were removed for evaluation of the germinal epithelium. The remaining male mice, 20 per group, were individually housed in hanging wire-mesh breeding cages where they were mated with unexposed, virgin females for eight weekly intervals; new females were provided each week. The mated females were sacrificed 12 days after the last day of cohabitation and their reproductive status and the number and viability of the implants were recorded. The appearance and behavior of the male mice were unremarkable throughout the study period and no evidence of n-hexane toxicity was observed. 18 refs., 3 figs., 11 tabs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6861431
• Report Number(s): PNL-6679; ON: DE89000271
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
ALKANES
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CLEARANCE
DOCUMENT TYPES
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
DOSES
EVALUATION
EXCRETION
EXHALATION
HEXANE
HYDROCARBONS
INHALATION
INTAKE
KINETICS
LETHAL DOSES
MAMMALS
METABOLISM
MICE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHARMACOLOGY
POLLUTION
PROGRESS REPORT
REPRODUCTION
RODENTS
SEX DEPENDENCE
VERTEBRATES