Abstract |
Groups of male B6C3F mice (N=50) were provided drinking water containing 2 g/liter sodium chloride (control) and 0.05, 0.5 and 5 g/liter dichloroacetic acid (DCA). Treatment of 30 animals in each group was carried out to 60 or 75 weeks. In a separate experiment, mice exposed to 3.5 g/liter DCA and the corresponding acetic acid control group were killed at 60 weeks. Groups of 5 mice were killed at 4, 15, 30 and 45 weeks. Time=weighted mean daily doses of 7.6, 77, 410, and 486 mg/kg/day were calculated for 0.05, 0.5, 3.5, and 5 g/liter DCA treatments. Animals exposed to 3.5 and 5 g/liter DCA had final body weights that were 87 and 83%, respectively of the control value. Relative liver weights of 136, 230, and 351% of the control value were measured for 0.5, 3.5 and 5 g/liter, respectively. At 60 weeks mice receiving 5.0 g/liter DCA had a 90% prevalence of liver neoplasia with a mean multiplicity of 4.50 tumors/animal. Exposure to 3.5 g/liter DCA for 60 weeks resulted in a 100% tumor prevalence with an average of 4.0 tumors/animal. No liver tumors were found in the group treated with acetic acid. Hyperplastic nodules were seen in the 3.5 (58%; 0.92/animal) and 5 g/liter DCA groups (83%; 1.27/animal). |