Subchronic studies of doxylamine in B6C3F1 mice

Doxylamine succinate, a histamine (H1) antagonist (antihistamine), was administered as an admixture in the feed to male and female B6C3F1 mice for 14 or 90 days. Dose levels of 0, 100, 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 ppm doxylamine were administered to males and females in the 14-day study while dose levels of 0, 80, 162, 325, 750, and 1500 ppm were administered to both sexes in the 90-day study. Little toxicity was seen in the 14-day study. Final body weights in the highest dose group were reduced 4.0 and 7.3% in males and females, respectively. Treatment-related histopathological changes in the 14-day study were limited to a very low incidence of hepatic necrosis in both sexes. There was little toxicity observed in the 90-day study and no clear dose response relative to weight gain was observed. Histologically, the liver was the only organ affected by doxylamine administration. The liver lesions consisted of hepatic cell cytomegaly and/or karyomegaly which varied from mild to severe and a possible dose-related hepatic necrosis.