Short-term toxicity of 1-naphthaleneacetic acid in rats

In a 90-day feeding study, 4 groups of 10 male and 10 female rats received in the diet 0, 200, 1000 and 5000 ppm 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (1-NAA). Growth and food intake was reduced significantly only in males on 5000 ppm. Haematological examination yielded essentially negative results except for a non-significant reduction at the 1000 and 5000 ppm levels in the leucocyte count, mainly due to a reduction in neutrophils. No significant effects were observed in the renal concentration test, urinalysis, renal histochemistry or histology of a wide range of organs at any level of 1-NAA tested. Increased relative weights of thyroid, testes, brain and liver were confined to the 5000 ppm level. The increase in relative liver weight was not accompanied by histological liver damage and was associated with elevated liver microsomal enzyme activity. The loss of glucose 6-phosphate (G6Pase) and increase in glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) seen histochemically in the centrilobular region of the liver in males on 5000 ppm, accompanied by glycogen depletion in the liver, could however be indicative of liver damage. On the basis of conventional criteria, a no-effect level of 1000 ppm would have been indicated by this study but in view of liver glycogen depletion at all levels tested a no-effect level was not established.