[Hepatic lesions in F344 rats treated orally with beta-cyclodextrin for 13 weeks]

A 13-week oral toxicity study of beta-cyclodextrin was carried out in F344 rats at the dose levels of 10, 5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.6 and 0% in powdered diet. Each group consisted of 10 males and 10 females. All animals survived at the end of the experiment, while a slight decrease in body-weight gain was observed in males of the 10%- and 5%-groups. Dose-dependent increases in serum levels of GOT, GPT and alkaline phosphatase were observed in treated animals of both sexes, and increases in serum levels of urea nitrogen and relative liver weights in treated males. Histopathologically, a dose-dependent increase in the severity of inflammatory cell infiltration was seen in the liver of treated animals, focal hepatocellular necrosis being detected in both sexes of the 10%-group and females of the 5%-group. These findings indicate that beta-cyclodextrin causes hepatocellular injury to rats when it is orally administered.