Reproductive Toxicity Studies Of Diethyl Carbonate In SD Rats

Diethyl Carbonate(DEC)is an important organic chemical material and mainly used to synthesize intermediates of solvents and medicines.The residual in the intermediates is difficult to remove completely,which may be harmful to our health of reproductive.However,there are a few reports of its toxicological studies,so we investigate the reproductive toxicity of DEC in fertility,early embryonic and embryo fetal development in SD rats in the present study.First,DEC at 80,200,500mg/kg and soybean oil as vehicle at 10 ml/kg were administered by intragastric administration for 4 weeks in male SD rats.DEC at equal doses was given for 2 weeks before mating at a ratio of 1:1 in the females.DEC was continuously administered in male rats until mating,and in female rats until GD6.The general reaction,bodyweight and food consumption were observed.The estrous cycle and mating rate of the adult female rats were inspected.The pregnant rats were anatomized on GD15,after anesthesia,the organ weight,resorption,dead and live fetuses as well as corpora lutea were counted and the embryo genesis and early embryonic developments were evaluated.The testis,epididymis and prostate were weighed,and the concentration and motility of the sperm were measured in male rats.Mated female rats were randomly divided into five groups,including three DEC groups(80,200 and 500 mg/kg),one negative control group(soybean oil,10 ml/kg),one positive control group(acetylsalicylic acid,250 mg/kg).DEC was administered continuously by intragastric administration from GD6 to GD15.The rats were observed for general reaction,bodyweight and feed consumption every day.Then the rats were autopsied on GD20,the implantation,resorption,dead and live fetuses as well as corpora lutea were counted while the bodyweight,body length,tail length,gross external,visceral and skeletal alterations of the fetus were evaluated.The results showed that there were no maternal toxicities of fertility on the rats.DEC had no significant effect on embryonic development.However,the bodyweight and body length of fetal rats in high and medium dose groups were less compared to the control group.The skeletal developments of fetal rats in high and medium dose groups were abnormality,too.However,DEC does not cause the malformation.Altogether,DEC’s NOAEL of toxicity on fertility and early embryonic development were 500 mg/kg.NOAEL of maternal development was 500 mg/kg.NOAEL of embryo fetal development was 80 mg/kg.