Subacute oral toxicity of 1,4-butanediol in rats.

1,4-Butanediol (BAD) was administered to male and female Wistar Imp:DAK rats by oral gavage for 28 consecutive days. Treated rats received BAD at daily doses of 5, 50 or 500 mg/kg/day. After 28 days all animals were necropsied. Blood samples were obtained and selected organs were weighed and prepared for histological examination. Subacute oral administration of BAD resulted in an overall low degree of systemic toxicity. There were no changes in body weight, food consumption, and absolute and relative organ weights. Slightly higher activities of sorbitol dehydrogenase and alanine aminotransferase were observed in male rats given BAD at the highest dose of 500 mg/kg/day. Some disturbances in hematological parameters, characterized by macrocytosis and thrombocytopenia were observed in treated rats. Mild to moderate inflammation of the liver, characterized by proliferation of bile ducts and periportal infiltrations with fibroblasts and mononuclear cells, were found in treated animals. A statistically significant difference for histopathological changes was found in animals treated with BAD at the dose of 500 mg/kg/day only in the case where both sexes were jointly taken for comparison.