Abstract |
2-Ethylhexanol (CAS No. 104-76-7) was administered to groups of 10 rats by gavage at doses of 130, 650, or 1300 mg/kg/day on gestation days 6 through 15. Control groups were also dosed with distilled water or distilled water with Cremophor EL. Rats were sacrificed and examined along with their fetuses on day 20. At the highest dose level 6 rats died during the treatment period, food consumption and body weight gains were reduced and there were clinical signs of severe toxicity including postural changes and apathy. The deceased animals showed discoloration changes in the liver. Increased resorptions and postimplantation losses and decreased fetal weights were evident in the high dose groups as were increased malformations, including soft tissue variations and skeletal malformations, variations and retardations. At the middle dose there were only minimal signs of maternal toxicity (piloerection) and marginally reduced fetal weights and increased fetal skeletal variations and retardations. No maternal or fetal effects were noted in the low dose group. The authors conclude that teratogenicity is apparent only at levels which show severe maternal toxicity. This EPA status report includes only the summary of the study. |