phenylmercuric-acetate and Body-Weight

Topics: Adenoma; Animals; Body Weight; Erythrocyte Count; Hematocrit; Hemoglobins; Kidney Neoplasms; Leukocyte Count; Male; Phenylmercuric Acetate; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Software

A new method for continuous in-cage monitoring of the activity of rats using passive sensors to detect the animals' infrared emissions, and its usefulness for toxicological screening tests is described. In order to obtain baseline values for toxicological tests, the differences between day and night activity, adaptation to changing day/night rhythm, the effects of handling the animals (measurement of body weight, food and water consumption) and the effect on activity patterns of the female estrus cycle were investigated. In two separate experiments, single doses of acetanilide and phenylmercuric acetate were administered. Passive infrared monitoring of motor activity proved to be a sensitive and discriminating method suitable for quantitative and qualitative assessment of acute toxic effects.

Topics: Acetanilides; Animals; Body Weight; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drinking; Eating; Female; Infrared Rays; Male; Motor Activity; Phenylmercuric Acetate; Phenylmercury Compounds; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Time Factors

Doses of 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 400 mg/kg of Gamma-Falisan-Universal dry dressing agent (active ingredients including 20 per cent of Lindan and 2.5 per cent of phenyl-mercury acetate) were administered in agar suspension by stomach intubation to rats over 13 weeks, with five applications weekly. The following changes were produced: retardation in body weight, lymphopenia and leucopenia, rise of segment-nuclear neutrophils in peripheral blood, decrease of haematocrit and haemoglobin, as well as rise in activities of leucine aminopeptidase and serum glutamate oxalo-acetate transaminase. The males proved to be more sensitive in the context of their haematological parameters, while the females displayed higher sensitivity in terms of clinico-chemical values. Absolute weight increases were recorded from kidneys and liver of both males and females and from the adrenal gland of females, while weight loss was recorded from the pituitary gland of males. Changes of the same kind were expressed even more strongly, in the context of relative weights of organs. Histopathological changes were recorded from liver, kidneys, and adrenal gland of either sex, and they were histometrically confirmed. Retardation in body weight, rise in activity of leucine aminopeptidase, and weight changes of various organs were significant up to first dosage group. Analogous findings were obtained with regard to microscopic changes in kidneys. Hence, no-effect levels did not occur at all throughout the experiment.

Topics: Adrenal Cortex; Animals; Blood; Body Weight; Drug Combinations; Female; Hexachlorocyclohexane; Kidney; Liver; Male; Organ Size; Phenylmercuric Acetate; Phenylmercury Compounds; Rats; Sex Factors