4-Week repeated oral dose toxicity study of 1,4-dichlorobutane in rats

The present study investigated the potential subacute toxicity of 1,4-dichlorobutane by a 4-week repeated oral dose in Sprague-Dawley rats. The test article was administered once daily by gavage to male rats at dose levels of 0, 100, 300, and 1,000 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks. All rats were sacrificed at the end of the treatment period. During the test period, clinical signs, mortality, body weight, hematology, serum biochemistry, gross findings, and organ weight were examined. At 1,000 mg/kg/day, an increase in the clinical signs and weights of the liver and kidneys was observed in the male rats. Serum biochemical investigations revealed an increase in alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total cholesterol, total bilirubin, phospholipids, blood urea nitrogen, and gamma glutamyl transferase levels. There were no treatment-related adverse effects in the low and middle-dose groups. In the present experimental conditions, the target organs were determined to be liver and kidney. The no-observed-adverse-effect level was considered to be 300 mg/kg/day in rats.