A 26-week oral repeated dose toxicity study of a new antineoplastic agent S-1 in rats

Abstract

S-1 was administered to male and female rats by gavage for 26 weeks at 0, 1, 5, and 10 mg/kg/day followed by 5-week recovery period for the control, 5, and 10 mg/kg/day groups. Treatment at 5 or 10 mg/kg/day in both sexes produced keratosis of the tail, palm or sole. Weight gain and average food consumption were lowered by the treatment. Urine showed increases in protein and epithelial or white blood cells and a decrease in specific gravity. The blood showed decreases in red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit as well as increases in MCH, platelet count, fibrinogen, and MCV. A/G ratio, albumin, and chloride were decreased while total cholesterol, free cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids were increased. Histopathologically, treatment-related changes at 5 and 10 mg/kg/day were observed mainly in the lymphoid tissues and kidneys. Those changes included atrophy in the lymphoid tissues and chronic nephropathy-like changes in the kidneys. Other changes in the 10 mg/ kg/day group, included acanthosis and/or inflammation in the epidermis of the tail, sole, or palm, degeneration and disarrangement of ameloblasts, and atrophy of the testes. In a recovery study, although some changes in the sole, palm, or tail, and the kidneys remained, they were less extensive than they had been at the end of the treatment period. Based upon these observations, the non-toxic dose level was estimated to be 1 mg/kg/day (2.3 mg/kg/day, as the summed doses of tegafur, CDHP, and Oxo) in both sexes.