[Subacute toxicity of an amine-curing agent for epoxy resin]

Amine-curing agent for epoxy resin, bis(4-amino-3-methylcyclohexyl)methane, has been suspected of inducing toxic symptoms in man which resemble collagen disease such as scleroderma or polymyositis. We studied subacute toxicity of this agent by repeated oral administrations to rats. The agent was administered 25, 37.5, 50, 75 or 100 mg/kg per one dose, 8 times in 10 days or 17 times in 4 weeks or 20-22 times in 4 weeks. When administration had been completed, clinical biochemical tests and histopathological examinations were carried out. Animals of high dosage group showed suppression of body weight increase and loss of muscular strength of limbs in the administration period. By clinical biochemical tests, elevation of blood components from muscle (CPK, GOT, creatine) was noticed. Also, increase of monoamine oxidase and decrease of alkaline phosphatase were revealed. By histological examinations, skeletal muscle and choroid plexus of brain showed noticeable changes. In muscles of high dosage group, atrophy, degeneration and regeneration of muscle fibers were observed and an increase of fibroblasts was also seen. In choroid plexus, vacuolar changes in epithelial cells were observed, being clearly dose-dependent. No particular change was recognized in skin. Though scleroderma-like change was not observed in the skin histologically, our results suggest that this amine-curing agent was greatly associated with muscle symptoms in the workers who handled epoxy resin and that it was one of causative agents which induced toxic symptoms like those of collagen disease.