Subchronic oral toxic effects of 2,4-dinitroaniline in wistar rats: A comprehensive toxicity evaluation

Abstract

2,4-dinitroaniline (2,4-D), a widely used dye intermediate, is one of the typical pollutants, and its potential health risks and toxicity are still largely unknown. To explore its subchronic oral toxicity, Wistar rats (equal numbers of males and females) were used as test animals, and a 90-day oral dosing experiment was conducted, divided into control group, low-dose group (0.055 mg/kg), medium-dose group (0.22 mg/kg), medium-high dose group (0.89 mg/kg), and high-dose group (3.56 mg/kg). The body weight data, clinical appearance, and drug reactions of each test rat within 90 days of dosing were recorded; morning urine samples were collected four times to test for eight urinary indicators; blood samples were collected to test for nineteen hematological indicators and sixteen biochemical indicators; tissue samples were collected for pathological analysis; moreover, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was determined, and the benchmark dose method was used to support this determination and provide a statistical estimate of the dose corresponding. The results indicated that the chronic toxicity of 2,4-dinitroaniline showed certain gender differences, with the eyes, liver, and kidneys being the main potential target organs of toxicity. Moreover, the subchronic oral NOAEL for 2,4-dinitroaniline was determined to be 0.22 mg/kg body weight (0.22 mg/kg for males and 0.89 mg/kg for females), and a preliminary calculation of the safe exposure limit for human was 0.136 mg/kg. The research results greatly enriched the safety evaluation data of 2,4-dinitroaniline, contributing to a robust scientific foundation for the development of informed safety regulations and public health precautions.