Investigations on the subchronic toxicity of 2-methoxypropanol-1(acetate) in rats

Wistar rats were exposed to 2-methoxypropylacetate-1 (2-MPAc-1) vapours in concentrations of 0, 110, 560 and 2800 ppm for (equiv. to 0; 0.6; 3.0 and 14.9 mg/L) for 4 weeks in chambers (6 hours/day; 5 days/week; five male and five female animals per group). The top concentration was equivalent to a 95% vapour saturation at 208C and the animals reacted to this with a moderate respiratory irritation during the 6 hours exposure times; at 560 ppm these effects were only slight. The top dose was also associated with a significantly reduced body weight development and some hematologic and biochemical alterations of little specificity. The most prominent effect was thymic atrophy. No effects were noted on the testes or on the cellularity in blood or bone marrow. 560 ppm were without systemic effects.Furthermore, 2-methoxypropanol-1 (2-MP-1), 2-MPAc-1 and 2-ethoxyethanol (EE) were administered in parallel by gavage to groups of five male Wistar rats daily for 10 days at near equimolar dose levels (1800, 2600 and 1...