[Experimental data on hygienic norms for antibiotics of the tetracycline group]

Toxicity of tetracyclines was studied experimentally on different species of laboratory animals. It was shown that tetracycline, oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline were close by their chemical structure and physico-chemical properties, as well as by the main toxicity parameters, i.e. acute toxicity, cumulative activity, skin-irritating and sensitizing effect. Under the conditions of subacute experiments the above 3 antibiotics induced evenly pronounced one direction changes in animals. The data obtained during the experiments provided recommendation of the level of 0.1 mg/m3 as the maximum allowable concentration (MAC) of oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline, i.e. the same level as the previously recommended for tetracycline.