Subchronic Oral Toxicity of Sodium Tungstate in Sprague-Dawley Rats

Abstract

The subchronic toxicity of sodium tungstate dihydrate aqueous solution in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats was evaluated by daily oral gavage of 0, 10, 75, 125, or 200 mg/kg/d for 90 days. Measured parameters included food consumption, body weight measurements, hematology, clinical chemistry, and histopathological changes. There was a significant decrease in food consumption and body weight gain in males at 200 mg/kg/d from days 77 to 90; however, there was no effect in food consumption and body weights in females. There were no changes in the hematological and clinical parameters studied. Histopathological changes were seen in kidney of male and female and epididymis of male rats. Histopathological changes were observed in the kidneys of male and female rats dosed at 125 or 200 mg/k/d consisting of mild to severe cortical tubule basophilia in 2 high-dose groups. Histological changes in epididymides included intraluminal hypospermia with cell debris in the 200 mg/kg/d dosed male rats. Histopathological changes were observed in the glandular stomach including inflammation and metaplasia in the high-dose groups (125 or 200 mg/kg/d) of both sexes of rats. Based on histopathology effects seen in the kidneys, the lowest observable adverse effect level was 125 mg/kg/d and the no observable adverse effect level was 75 mg/kg/d in both sexes of rats for oral subchronic toxicity.