A one-year carcinogenicity study with 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile (Dichlobenil) in male Swiss mice: preliminary note

2,6-Dichlorobenzonitrile (Dichlobenil) is the active principle of a commercial herbicide that was previously shown to be carcinogenic for animals. Dichlobenil was administered to male Swiss albino mice in order to assess the possible oncogenic properties of the active principle alone. The substance at 2 ppm concentration was injected (0.0005 mg/injection) either by subcutaneous or intraperitoneal route to 2 randomized groups of 30 animals each every third day for 13 times. Dichlobenil induced a significant increase of malignant tumors (lymphoma, mesothelioma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and pulmonary alveologenic carcinoma) with respect to the controls (p less than 0.01 in both treated groups). As for tumor histotypes, only lymphoma incidence was significantly increased in the intraperitoneally treated animals (p less than 0.05). Dichlobenil can be suspected of being a possible carcinogen in Swiss mice but the mechanism of its action is not precisely known.