A two-generation reproductive toxicity study of 4-nitrotoluene in rats

4-Nitrotoluene (4-NT) was administered orally at doses of 0, 40, 80, or 160 mg/kg/day by gavage to 24 Crj:CD (SD)IGS rats of each sex per group over two successive generations, and the effects on reproductive capacity in the parental animals and growth and development of the offspring were investigated. In the F0 and F1 parents, increased hepatic and/or renal weights were observed at the doses of 40 mg/kg or more in both generations, with lowered body weights in the F1 case and reduced feeding efficiency, histopathological changes in the kidney and spleen at doses of 80 and 160 mg/kg, as well as worsening of clinical signs and death during the perinatal period at 160 mg/kg in both generations. With regard to effects on the reproductive capacity, reduced vaginal opening was observed at 160 mg/kg in the F1 generation. However, no abnormalities were observed in the endocrine and reproductive organs or in serum hormone levels. In the F1 and F2 offspring, decrease in body weight gain and brain weights was observed at the doses of 80 and 160 mg/kg and reduced viability, with elongation or a tendency for elongation of the male anogenital distance at 160 mg/kg. Thus, the possibility that 4-NT exerted endocrine disrupting effects seems to be very low under the conditions of this study, and when the substance was administered to rats over two generations, doses less than 160 mg/kg/day did not induce any marked adverse effects on the reproductive capacity in the parental animals, with the no observed effect level (NOEL) and the no observed adverse effect (NOAEL) on growth and development in the offspring concluded to be 40 mg/kg/day.