The Acute Oral Toxicity of the Herbicide Chlorpropham in Albino Rats

Abstract

The toxicity of chlorpropham progressively increased when given orally to albino rats previously fed from weaning on purified diets containing progressively less protein. For example, the acute oral LD₅₀ ± standard error (SE) of chlorpropham was 1.20 ± 0.14 gm/kg in rats previously fed no dietary protein and 10.39 ± 1.58 in rats previously fed normal amounts (26%) of protein as casein. The type of dietary protein also affected susceptibility to chlorpropham toxicity. Rats previously fed normal amounts of dietary protein as casein were more resistant to the toxic effects of chiorpropham than were rats fed mixed “natural” proteins in the form of a standard laboratory chow. The clinicopathoiogic syndrome of toxicity to chlorpropham at the range of the LD₅₀ was essentially the same in rats of all dietary groups studied.