Degree of ethoxyquin-induced nephrotoxicity in rat is dependent on age and sex

The toxicity of ethoxyquin (EQ) to rat kidney was examined in males which were either weanling or adult at the beginning of the experiment, and also in adult females. Female rats were much less susceptible to the toxic effects of EQ than males of the same age. In males damage to the cortex, mainly as an acceleration of the normal ageing process, was similar in both age groups, but rats exposed to EQ as weanlings also suffered from extensive papillary necrosis. Male rats were more prone than females to proteinuria, which was greatly exacerbated by EQ in both age groups. Thus there is very little evidence of nephrotoxicity in adult female rats on exposure to EQ at 0.5% in the diet for 26 weeks. In males, the initial age of the animal, as well as the length of treatment, influences the extent of damage.