The acute toxicity of allyl chloride by subcutaneous injection in mice.
Male ICR mice were administered allyl chloride at dose of 496 mg/kg, 600 mg/kg, 720 mg/kg, 864 mg/kg or 1037 mg/kg by a single subcutaneous injection. Sixteen of 25 mice died by the 7th day after the injection and LD50 was calculated 621 mg/kg body weight (95% C.I.: 522-739 mg/kg). A marked congestion with severe hemorrhage and edema were observed in the lung. Liver and kidney damages were also found, and these were characterized by the dilated sinusoids, degenerative change of hepatic cells, and focal necrosis in the liver; and necrosis of epithelium in convoluted tubules of the kidneys. Nine mice have survived by the 7th day after the injection and all of them showed a various degree of damages in the testes. The testicular lesions could be classified into two types. One type of the lesion was characterized by degeneration and exfoliation of germ cells, appearance of polynuclear giant cells in the seminiferous tubules, and mild proliferation of Leydig cells in the interstitium. In another type of the lesion, all type of cells in tubules, including Sertoli cells, and Leydig cells became necrotic. This is the first study reporting the testicular toxicity of allyl chloride.