Thirteen-week toxicity studies of 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidene and C.I. Direct Blue 15 in the Fischer 344 rat.

The benzidine congener 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine (DMOB), and C.I. Direct Blue 15 (Blue 15), a prototypical compound of the DMOB-derived class of dyes, were evaluated in 13-week studies to characterize the toxicity and establish dose levels for subsequent chronic studies. Groups of 10 Fischer 344 rats of each sex were administered either DMOB, or Blue 15, at 1 of 5 concentrations in drinking water for 13 weeks. DMBO concentrations were 0, 0.017, 0.033, 0.063, 0.125, and 0.25% for males and females. For Blue 15, the concentrations were 0.063, 0.125, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.0% for females and 0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.50, 1.0, and 3.0% for male rats. Rats showed dose-related decreases in water consumption and weight gains. All DMOB-treated rats and their controls survived the 13-week treatment. There were 7 deaths in the 3% level of male rats treated with Blue 15. Liver and kidney weights were increased in rats treated with both compounds. Target organs for DMOB-treated rats were the kidney and thyroid. These lesions were characterized by chronic nephropathy, and increased pigment in the follicular cells of the thyroid. The kidney and liver were identified as target organs for Blue 15-treated rats. In the high-dose rats that died before termination of the study, renal effects were characterized by degeneration and focal necrosis of proximal tubular epithelial cells. Liver lesions in this group consisted of degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes, fatty metamorphosis, and minimal megalocytosis. Mild chronic nephropathy was the principal histological effect in Blue 15-treated rats surviving to study termination.