UKRAIN: ACUTE TOXICITY AFTER INTRAVENOUS, INTRAMUSCULAR AND ORAL ADMINISTRATION IN RATS

HRUBY R.

Austrian Research Center, Toxicology, Seibersdorf, Austria.

Address for correspondence: Dr. R. Hruby, Austrian Research Center, Toxicology, A-2444 Seibersdorf, Austria.

Summary: The acute toxicity of Ukrain (1 g/30 ml) was determined after a single intravenous, intramuscular or oral administration in rats, performed in accordance with Good Laboratory Practice and the relevant European Community directive. Groups of five (male and/or female) Him:OFA rats were treated once with the following doses: intravenous route: 1.0 ml/kg (males and females), 1.7 ml/kg (males and females) and 3.0 ml/kg (females); intramuscular route: 5.0 ml/kg (males and females); oral route: 15.0 ml/kg (females), 27.0 ml/kg (males and females) and 50 ml/kg (females). The animals were kept for up to 14 days afterwards while clinical observations and body weight determinations were made and were then necropsied. An intravenous injection of Ukrain (1 g/30 ml) induced immediate effects (short-term unconsciousness, followed by cardiovascular signs and, later, signs of general malaise), which, if not lethal, disappeared in a short time. It was found that the intravenous LD₅₀ was greater than 43 mg active ingredient/kg body weight in the males and 76 mg active ingredient/kg body weight in the females. An intramuscular injection of Ukrain (1 g/30 ml) in the maximum technically feasible dose induced some transient signs of minor clinical importance which did not become life threatening. In both sexes the intramuscular LD₅₀ was greater than 165 mg active ingredient/kg body weight.