A 90-day subchronic toxicological assessment of Antrodia cinnamomea in Sprague-Dawley rats

Antrodia cinnamomea (Ac) is a medicinal mushroom widely used for the treatment of abdominal pain, hypertension and hepatocellular carcinoma, but subchronic toxicity of this material has not yet been investigated. This present study was conducted to assess the 90-day oral toxicity of A. cinnamomea from submerged culture in male and female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Eighty rats were divided into four groups, each consisting of ten male and ten female rats. Test articles were administered by oral gavage to rats at 3000, 2200 and 1500 mg/kg BW/day for 90 consecutive days and reverse osmosis water was used as control. All animals survived to the end of the study. During the experiment period, no abnormal changes were observed in clinical signs, body weight and ophthalmological examinations. No significant differences were found in urinalysis, hematology and serum biochemistry parameters between the treatment and control groups. Necropsy and histopathological examination indicated no treatment-related changes. According to the above results, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of Antrodia cinnamomea is identified to be greater than 3000 mg/kg BW/day in Sprague-Dawley rats.     

Acute and 13 weeks subchronic toxicological evaluation of naringin in Sprague-Dawley rats

Naringin is widely distributed in plant foods and has not previously been evaluated for safety through standard in vivo toxicological studies. In the present study, acute and subchronic oral toxicity studies of naringin were designed and conducted in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Acute oral administration of naringin was done as a single bolus dose up to 16 g/kg and subchronic toxicity study for 13 weeks was done by oral administration at doses of 0 (control), 50, 250 and 1250 mg/kg in SD rats. There were no mortality, adverse clinical signs, abnormal changes in body weights or food consumption, toxicologically relevant changes in hematology, clinical biochemistry and macroscopic findings during 14 days of the acute toxicity study. During the subchronic oral toxicity study, no mortality and toxicologically significant changes in clinical signs, food consumption, opthalmoscopic examination, hematology, clinical biochemistry, serum sex hormone, macroscopic findings, organ weights and histopathological examination except for slight body weight decrease were noted and attributed to naringin administration. These observations suggest that naringin is practically non-toxic for SD rats in oral acute toxicity study and the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) of naringin in rats is greater than 1250 mg/kg/day when administered orally for 13 consecutive weeks.     

A 90-day subchronic toxicity study of beta-calcium pyrophosphate in rat

β-calcium pyrophosphate has been used as a bone-graft extender. The present study evaluated the toxicity from the subchronic administration of β-calcium pyrophosphate to male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were divided into two groups consisting of 10 male and 10 female rats each and fed β-calcium pyrophosphate extract (30?mg/kg body weight/day) and saline, 7 days per week for 90 consecutive days. During the experiment, no deaths were observed in any groups, and there were no remarkable changes in clinical signs, body weight, food and water consumption, hematological and serum biochemical parameters, organ weight, and histopathological findings between the control and treated groups. The results show no adverse toxic effects of β-calcium pyrophosphate extract (30?mg/kg body weight/day) for rats of either sex.     

Acute and subchronic toxicity of xylo-oligosaccharide in mice and rats

Xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS) is sugar oligomers composed of a β-1,4-linked xylopyranosyl backbone that are obtained by either chemical or, more commonly, enzymatic hydrolysis of xylan polysaccharides extracted from plant cell wall. In this study, acute and subchronic toxicity of XOS in mice and rats have been evaluated, respectively. In the acute study, no obvious clinical signs of toxicity or mortality were observed in mice at the dosage of 32?g/kg BW XOS, excepting transient unformed stools were observed. In the subchronic study, XOS was evaluated in rats with dietary administration at concentrations of 0 (control), 0.9, 2.9, 8.8 and 10% for 13 weeks. Measurements included clinical observations, body weight, food consumption, food conversion efficiency, hematology, blood chemistry, gross necropsy, organ weight and histopathology. Under the conditions, no treatment-related changes were noted in behavior or appearance of the rats and no mortalities occurred. No toxicological findings were found in food consumption, food conversion efficiency, hematology, clinical biochemistry or organ weights in either sex. It is concluded, therefore, that the high dose level, at which the female and male rats consumed about 11.51 and 14.95?g XOS/kg bw/d, respectively, is the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of this 13-week toxicity study.     

Acute and 30-day oral toxicity studies of administered carnosic acid

Purpose

Increasing interest in carnosic acid (CA) is due to its pharmacological properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute and 30-day oral toxicity of CA.

Methods

The acute oral toxicity study in Kuming mice design followed the OECD-guidelines 423, and a 30-day chronic oral toxicity study in Wistar rats based on the enhanced OECD test guideline 407 were performed.

Results

The oral lethal dose (LD50) for mice was 7100 mg/kg of body weight in the acute toxicity study. The histopathological changes were observed in the heart, liver and kidney for the survival mice treated with a single dose CA. For the sub chronic toxicity study, CA administered for 30 days produced slightly reductions in the weight gain pattern, which did not reach the significant level when compared with the control values. With respect to serum biochemistry test, decreased total serum protein levels, but conversely increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were detected in the high-dose and moderate-dose groups. Histopathologically, light pathological changes were observed in the heart, liver, and kidney of rats treated with the high-dose CA.

Conclusion

The present work suggests that a short-term oral administration of CA has a relatively low toxicity profile.     

Scientific evaluation of the acute toxicity and 13-week subchronic toxicity of Rheum emodi rhizome extracts in Sprague Dawley rats

Rheum emodi has been used as an edible and medicinal plant in Tibet and Kashmir for a long period of time, while safety evaluation of this plant has not yet been investigated. In this study, acute and subchronic oral toxicity studies of aqueous extract of R. emodi (AERE) rhizome were conducted in SD rats. Animals were treated with a single dose of 1000, 2000, 4000 or 10,000 mg/kg of AERE in the acute toxicity. In subchronic oral toxicity, animals were randomly divided into four groups (10 rats/sex/group) and received doses of 0, 1000, 2000, and 4000 mg/kg/d of AERE for 90 days. Daily clinical observations, weekly measurement of body weight and food consumption were conducted. Blood and urine were collected on days 91 to measure changes. At necropsy, selected organs were weighed and recorded, and histological examination was performed. During the subchronic oral toxicity study, no mortality, obvious treatment-related clinical signs and urinalysis parameters were observed. Differences in weight gain, food consumption, hematology, biochemistry, relative organ weight and histopathology examinations between the treated group and the control group were not considered treatment-related. Our results indicated that the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for AERE was 4000 mg/kg/d in both genders.     

Safety assessment of vitacoxib: Acute and 90-day sub-chronic oral toxicity studies

Vitacoxib, is a newly developed coxibs NSAID (selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase-2). To date, no experimental data have been published concerning its safety for use as an additive in the human diet. In the present study, we assessed the acute and sub-chronic toxicity of vitacoxib administered by gavage. The acute toxicity tests in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats and ICR mice demonstrated that vitacoxib at a dose of 5000 mg/kg BW failed to alter any of the parameters studied. In the 90-day sub-chronic toxicity test, vitacoxib was administered to SD rats at the doses of 0 (control), 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 mg/kg BW. The results demonstrated that there were no significant differences for most indexes of sub-chronic toxicity throughout the experiment at the dose of 5–20 mg/kg BW, indicating no apparent dose-dependent. However, there were significant histopathology changes in the liver and kidney, and alterations in some biochemical parameters in the 60 mg/kg BW group. Based on these findings, the gavage LD₅₀ was determined to be > 5000 mg/kg in SD rats and ICR mice, and the 90-day gavage no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of vitacoxib was considered to be 20 mg/kg BW under the present study conditions.     

Physicochemical analysis and repeated-dose 90-days oral toxicity study of nanocalcium carbonate in Sprague-Dawley rats

Abstract

In our previous studies of nanocalcium carbonate, in which we performed physicochemical analysis, genotoxicity, acute single-dose and repeated-dose 14-day oral toxicity testings in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, nanocalcium carbonate did not show a difference in toxicity compared to vehicle control. Here, we provide the first report of a repeated-dose 90-day oral toxicity test of nanocalcium carbonate in Sprague-Dawley rats, with physicochemical comparison of micro and nanocalcium carbonate. We find that the two particles differ in size, hydrodynamic size, and specific surface area, with no differences in components, crystalline structure and radical production. In terms of ionization ability, nanocalcium carbonate was slightly more ionized within 1% than microcalcium carbonate at pH 5 and pH 7. In the repeated-dose 90-day oral toxicity test of nanocalcium carbonate, there was no significant toxicity, and similar blood concentrations of Ca²⁺ compared to the vehicle control group. Based on our results, although nanocalcium carbonate has different physicochemical properties, nanocalcium carbonate does not differ from microcalcium carbonate in terms of toxicity. Based on the results, we suggest that the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of nanocalcium carbonate is 1000?mg kg^?1 day^?1 in SD rats according to the maximum dose (OECD guideline 408). However, the NOAEL might be higher than 1000?mg kg^?1 day^?1 because there were no adverse effects revealed by consistent pathological findings or biochemical parameter changes. To justify a safe concentration of nanocalcium carbonate, which is a low toxicity chemical, more data is required on dose levels above 1000?mg kg^?1. Our findings may be useful for creating safety guidelines for the use nanocalcium carbonate.     

Safety assessment of aditoprim acute,subchronic toxicity and mutagenicity studies

Aditoprim (ADP), a new developed dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitor, has great potential in clinical veterinary medicine because of its greater pharmacokinetic properties than structural analogs. Preclinical toxicology studies were performed to assess the safety of ADP including an acute oral toxicity test, a subchronic toxicity test and five mutagenicity tests. In the acute oral toxicity test, ADP was administered singly by oral gavage to Wistar rats and Kunming mice. The LD₅₀ calculated was 1400 mg kg^–1 body weight (BW) day^–1 in rats and 1130 mg kg^–1 BW day^–1 in mice. In a subchronic study, Wistar rats were administered ADP at dose levels of 0, 20, 100 and 1000 mg kg^–1 diet for 90 days. Significant decreases were observed on body weight and food efficiency in the high‐dose group. Treatment‐related changes in clinical serum biochemistry were found in the medium‐ and high‐dose groups. Significant increases in the relative weights of livers and kidneys in females and testis in males in the 1000 mg kg^–1 diet, and significant decrease in relative weights of livers in males in the 100 mg kg^–1 diet were noted. Histopathological observations revealed that the 1000 mg kg^–1 ADP diet could induce lymphocytic infiltration and hepatocytic necrosis near the hepatic portal area. The genotoxicity of ADP was negative in tests, such as the bacterial reverse mutation assay, mice bone marrow erythrocyte micronucleus assay, in vitro chromosomal aberration test, in vitro cho/hgprt mammalian cell mutagenesis assay and mice testicle cells chromosome aberration. Based on the subchronic study, the no‐observed‐adverse‐effect level for ADP was a 20 mg kg^–1 diet, which is about 1.44‐1.53 mg kg^–1 BW day^–1 in rats. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A subchronic 90-day oral rat toxicity study and in vitro genotoxicity studies with a conjugated linoleic acid product

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is the term given to a group of positional and geometric isomers of the essential fatty acid linoleic acid. CLA is found naturally in foods such as dairy and meat products. CLA is reported to have a number of beneficial effects including anticarcinogenic activity. However, safety data are limited. Clarinol™ G80 is a commercial preparation containing equal amounts of the 9cis,11trans and 10trans,12cis CLA isomers in the form of glycerides. In order to support the safety-in-use of Clarinol™ G80 as an ingredient in food, the preparation was tested in two in vitro mutagenicity assays, an Ames test and an in vitro cytogenetics assay, and a 90-day repeat-dose oral toxicity rat study. Clarinol™ G80 was non-mutagenic in both in vitro assays. In the 90-day study, Clarinol™ G80 produced hepatocellular hypertrophy in female rats at the highest dose level (15% w/w). This effect was an adaptive effect in response to feeding high levels of Clarinol™ G80 in the diet and was reversible upon withdrawal of test material. An increase in plasma insulin levels was also observed female rats fed 15% w/w Clarinol™ G80 but there was no effect on plasma glucose levels. A No Observed Adverse Effect Level of 2433 mg/kg bw/day for male and 2728 mg/kg bw/day female rats was identified in the study.     

Safety assessment of powdered Cistanche deserticola Y. C. Ma by a 90-day feeding test in Sprague-Dawley rats

Cistanche deserticola (C. deserticola), a holoparasitic plant widely distributed in arid or semi-arid areas in Eurasia and North Africa, has been used as an important tonic in traditional Eastern medicine for centuries. However, little information on the systemic toxicity and safety evaluation of it is available. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential toxicity of powdered C. deserticola as a novel food ingredient by use of a subchronic toxicity study in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. A total of 80 male and female rats were fed with diets containing 8, 4, 2 and 0% (control) powdered C. deserticola for 90 days. A toxicological assessment was performed including mortality, body and organ weight, food consumption, blood biochemistry, hematology, gross necropsy and histopathological examinations. There were no signs of toxicity and treatment-related changes in rats treated with powdered C. deserticola. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of powdered C. deserticola was 7.8?g?kg^?1 body weight for males and 8.0?g?kg^?1 body weight for females of rats under the experimental conditions of this study.     

Bioaccumulation and locomotor effects of manganese sulfate in Sprague-Dawley rats following subchronic (90 days) inhalation exposure

Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) is an organic compound that was introduced as an anti-knock additive to replace lead in unleaded fuel. The combustion of MMT results in the emission of fine Mn particulates mainly in the form of manganese sulfate and manganese phosphate. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of subchronic exposure to Mn sulfate in different tissues, on locomotor activity, on neuropathology, and on blood serum biochemical parameters. A control group and three groups of 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed 6-h/day, 5 days/week for 13 consecutive weeks at 30, 300, or 3,000 microg/m(3) Mn sulfate. Locomotor activity was measured during 36 h using an Auto-Track System. Blood and the following tissues were collected and analyzed for manganese content by neutron activation analysis: olfactory bulb, globus pallidus, caudate/putamen, cerebellum, frontal cortex, liver, lung, testis, and kidney. Neuronal cell counts were obtained for the caudate/putamen and the globus pallidus and clinical biochemistry was assessed. Manganese concentrations were increased in blood, kidney, lung, and testis and in all brain regions in the 3,000 microg/m(3) exposure group. Significant differences were also noted in the 300 microg/m(3) exposure group. Neuronal cell counts for the globus pallidus were significantly different between the two highest exposed groups and the controls. Locomotor activity for all exposure concentrations and resting time for the middle and highest concentrations for the two night resting periods were significantly increased. Total ambulatory count was decreased significantly for all exposure concentrations. Biochemical profiles also presented significant differences. No body weight loss was observed between all groups. These results suggest that neurotoxicity could occur at low exposure levels of Mn sulfate, one of the main combustion products of MMT.     

A 90 days oral toxicity of imidacloprid in female rats: Morphological,biochemical and histopathological evaluations

A 90 days oral toxicity study of imidacloprid was conducted in female rats with doses of 0, 5, 10, 20 mg/kg/day. Decrease in the body weight gain was observed at 20 mg/kg/day and at necropsy the relative body weights of liver, kidney and adrenal was also significantly increased at this dose level. No mortality occurred during treatment period while food intake was reduced at high dose level. In clinical chemistry parameters high dose of imidacloprid has caused significant elevation of serum GOT, GPT, glucose and BUN and decreased the activity of AChE in serum and brain. The spontaneous locomotor activity was also decreased at highest dose exposure where as there were no significant changes in hematological and urine parameters. The brain, liver and kidney of rats exposed with high dose of imidacloprid had showed mild pathological changes. Based on the morphological, biochemical, hematological and neuropathological studies it is evident that imidacloprid has not produced any significant effects at 5 and 10 mg/kg/day doses but induced toxicological effects at 20 mg/kg/day to female rats. Hence, 10 mg/kg/day dose may be considered as no observed effect level (NOEL) for female rats.     

Safety assessment of transgenic canola RF3 with bar and barstar gene on Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats by 90-day feeding test

Canola is one of the most important plant oilseed crops. To avoid the threat of herbicides, the RF3 line with bar gene and barstar gene was developed, which can act as glufosinate resistance resources and restore fertility in hybrid lines. To assess the food safety of transgenic canola RF3, 2.5%, 5% and 10% GM canola RF3 and its non-GM isogenic line Drakkar were formulated into diet to feed Spragure-Dawley (SD) rats for 90 days. The effects on the general growth and toxicological parameters, as well as gut microbiota of rats, were evaluated. Several significant differences on body weight, feed consumption, relative organ weight, hematology and serum biochemistry were observed among rats in the 90-day feeding test. However, these statistical differences were randomly observed among different groups and were not dose-related, which were not considered to be biologically significant. Furthermore, the results of bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing of fecal samples showed that the diets containing GM canola did not disturb the balance of gut microbiota. In conclusion, the canola RF3 is considered as safe and wholesome as the non-GM canola based on this 90-day feeding test and gut microbiota analysis.     

Safety and toxicological evaluation of a synthetic vitamin K2, menaquinone-7

Menaquinone-7 (MK-7) is part of a family of vitamin K that are essential co-factors for the enzyme γ-glutamyl carboxylase, which is involved in the activation of γ-carboxy glutamate (Gla) proteins in the body. Gla proteins are important for normal blood coagulation and normality of bones and arteries. The objective of this study was to examine the potential toxicity of synthetic MK-7 in BomTac:NMRI mice and in Sprague-Dawley rats. In an acute oral toxicity test, mice were administered a single oral dose of 2000?mg/kg body weight (limit dose) and no toxicity was observed during the 14-day observation period. In the subchronic oral toxicity test in rats, animals were administered MK-7 for 90 days by gavage at the following doses: 0 (vehicle control, corn oil), 2.5, 5, and 10?mg/kg body weight/day. All generated data, including clinical observations, ophthalmology, clinical pathology, gross necropsy, and histopathology, revealed no compound-related toxicity in rats. Any statistically significant findings in clinical pathology parameters and/or organ weights noted were considered to be within normal biological variability. Therefore, under the conditions of this experiment, the median lethal dose (LD₅₀) of MK-7 after a single oral administration in mice was determined to be greater than the limit dose level of 2000?mg/kg body weight. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of MK-7, when administered orally to rats for 90 days, was considered to be equal to 10?mg/kg body weight/day, the highest dose tested, based on lack of toxicity during the 90-day study period.     

硝酸羟胺急性、亚慢性染毒大鼠毒作用靶器官的研究

目的研究硝酸羟胺(hydroxylammonium nitrate,HAN)的急性毒性及亚慢性染毒大鼠后主要毒作用的靶器官。方法急性毒性实验中经腹腔对大鼠进行单次染毒,观察动物中毒症状,计算HAN的LD50和95%的可信限;亚慢性毒性实验中,分别以HAN 71、42、8 mg/kg不同剂量和生理盐水经腹腔染毒动物,连续染毒13周后脱颈椎处死3/4动物,剩余1/4动物停止染毒再饲养4周后同法处死,观察大鼠中毒症状和脏器的组织病理学改变,探讨HAN主要毒作用靶器官。结果HAN腹腔染毒大鼠的LD50为139.3 mg/kg,95%可信限为132.3~146.7 mg/kg。HAN亚慢性染毒后,动物体重无明显变化,各染毒组动物脾脏脏器系数明显高于对照组(P<0.05);组织病理学检查表明,HAN可引起含铁血黄素在体内的大量沉积,主要位于肝、脾和肾内,对组织脏器的损伤主要以氧化性损伤为主,主要靶器官为肺、肝、脾和肾。结论HAN属于中等毒性物质,长期接触对机体有一定的毒性作用。     

A 90-day subchronic oral toxicity study of triterpene-enriched extract from Alismatis Rhizoma in rats

Alismatis Rhizoma has been used in East Asia as a traditional treatment for various illnesses and symptoms, and the presence of protostane-type triterpenes has been claimed to provide health benefits. To investigate the subchronic toxicity of triterpene-enriched extract from Alismatis Rhizoma (TEAR), a 90-day oral toxicity study was conducted in rats. Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (10 rats/sex/group) and received doses of 0, 360, 720, and 1440 mg/kg/d of TEAR for 90 days. Daily clinical observations as well as weekly measurement of body weight and food consumption were conducted. Blood samples were obtained on day 91 to measure changes in hematology and biochemistry. Urine samples were collected on days 0 and 91 for urinalysis. At necropsy, selected organs were weighed and recorded, and histological examination was performed. No mortality or obvious treatment-related clinical signs, hematology, urinalysis parameters, and macroscopic or microscopic examinations were observed. Differences in weight gain, food consumption, biochemistry, and relative organ weight between the treated group and the control group were not considered treatment-related. On the basis of these findings, the no-observed-adverse-effect level for TEAR was 1440 mg/kg/d in both sexes.     

Bioaccumulation and locomotor effects of manganese phosphate/sulfate mixture in Sprague-Dawley rats following subchronic (90 days) inhalation exposure

Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) is an organic manganese (Mn) compound added to unleaded gasoline in Canada. The primary combustion products of MMT are Mn phosphate, Mn sulfate, and a Mn phosphate/Mn sulfate mixture. Concerns have been raised that the combustion products of MMT containing Mn could be neurotoxic, even at low levels of exposure. The objective of this study is to investigate exposure-response relationships for bioaccumulation and locomotor effects following subchronic inhalation exposure to a mixture of manganese phosphates/sulfate mixture. A control group and three groups of 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed in inhalation chambers for a period of 13 weeks, 5 days per week, 6 h a day. Exposure concentrations were 3000, 300, and 30 microg/m(3). At the end of the exposure period, locomotor activity and resting time tests were conducted for 36 h using a computerized autotrack system. Rats were then euthanized by exsanguination and Mn concentrations in different tissues (liver, lung, testis, and kidney) and blood and brain (caudate putamen, globus pallidus, olfactory bulb, frontal cortex, and cerebellum) were determined by neutron activation analysis. Increased manganese concentrations were observed in blood, kidney, lung, testis, and in all brain sections in the highest exposure group. Mn in the lung and in the olfactory bulb were dose dependent. Our data indicate that the olfactory bulb accumulated more Mn than other brain regions following inhalation exposure. Locomotor activity was increased at 3000 microg/m(3), but no difference was observed in resting time among the exposed groups. At the end of the experiment, rats exposed to 300 and 3000 microg/m(3) exhibited significantly decreased body weight in comparison with the control group. Biochemical profiles also revealed some significant differences in certain parameters, specifically alkaline phospatase, urea, and chlorate.     

Single and 14-day repeated dose inhalation toxicity studies of hexabromocyclododecane in rats

Limited toxicological information is available for hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD),a widely used additive brominated flame retardant. Inhalation is a major route of human exposure to HBCD. The aim of this study was to determine the acute inhalation toxicity and potential subchronic inhalation toxicity of HBCD in Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to HBCD only through inhalation. The acute inhalation toxicity of HBCD was determined using the limit test method on five male and five female Sprague-Dawley rats at a HBCD concentration of 5000 mg/m³. Repeated-dose toxicity tests were also performed, with 20 males and 20 females randomly assigned to four experimental groups (five rats of each sex in each group). There were three treatment groups (exposed to HBCD concentrations of 125,500, and 2000 mg/m³) and a blank control group (exposed to fresh air). In the acute inhalation toxicity study, no significant clinical signs were observed either immediately after exposure or during the recovery period. Gross pathology examination revealed no evidence of organ-specific toxicity in any rat. The inhalation LC_50(4 h) for HBCD was higher than 5312 ± 278 mg/m3 for both males and females. In the repeated dose inhalation study, daily head/nose-only exposure to HBCD at 132 ± 8.8, 545.8 ± 35.3, and 2166.0 ± 235.9 mg/m³ for 14 days caused no adverse effects. No treatment-related clinical signs were observed at any of the test doses. The NOAEL for 14-day repeated dose inhalation toxicity study of HBCD is 2000 mg/m³.