Subchronical dose

Van Birgelen APJM, Van der Kolk J, Fase KM, et al. 1995. Subchronic dose-response study of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 132 1-13. 

Klotz U, Antonin KH and Bieck PR (1976b). Comparison of the pharmacokinetics of diazepam after single and subchronic doses.EurJ Clin Pharmacol, 10, 121-126. 

Subchronical dose — The doses are given between 1 and 3 months. 

For subchronic dose tolerance studies, the starting dose is usually based on the first dose that exhibits any kind of pharmacological effect during the acute dose tolerance study. This dose should be administered as the total daily dose, with the dosing interval based on the half-life of the drug or duration of the pharmacodynamic response. 

In contrast to in vitro tests, most in vivo assays in rodents have failed to show evidence of antimony s genotoxicity. Antimony trioxide tested negative (no evidence of clastogenicity) in the mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay and in the rat liver DNA repair assay (Elliott et al. 1998), and failed to induce micronuclei or chromosomal aberrations in the bone marrow of rats in a subchronic dosing study (Kirkland et al. 2007). 

Previously, attempts were made to estimate chemical warfare agent toxicity for occupational exposure standards relating to demilitarisation oper-ations. ° Studies that have included repeated dosing to animals, ie. subchronic dose studies, have generally focussed on doses that produced measureable inhibition of red cell ChE arguably, this is a biomarker of exposure rather than an indicator of toxicity, and therefore its selection as an indicator of lowest or no observed adverse effect may increase the uncertainly in subsequent extrapolations to the human. ... 

Development of subchronic RfDs parallels the development of chronic reference doses in concept the distinction is one of e.xposurc duration. Appropriate studies are evaluated and a subchronic NOAEL is identified. The RfD is derived from the NOAEL by the application of the UFs and MF, as outlined above. When experimental data arc available only for shorter e.xposurc durations than desired, an additional uncertainly factor is applied. This is similar to the application of the uncertainly factor for duration differences when a chronic RfD is estimated from subchronic animal data. On the other hand, if subchronic data are missing and a chronic oral RfD derived from chronic data exists, the chronic oral RfD is adopted as the subchronic oral RfD. Ill this instance, there is no application of an uncertainly factor to account for differences in exposure duration. 

EPA has derived both an oral reference dose (RfD) and an inhalation reference concentration (RfC) for chronic exposure to hydrogen sulfide. The RfD of 0.003 mg/kg/day is based on the NOAEL of 3.1 mg/kg/day for gastrointestinal disturbance in pigs in a study by Wetterau et al. (1964) (IRIS 1998). The NOAEL value of 3.1 mg/kg/day was divided by an uncertainty factor of 1,000 to account for interspecies extrapolation (10), sensitive individuals (10), and subchronic exposure (10) (IRIS 1998). 

Ferguson and Bowman 1990 Gilbert and Rice 1987 Hopper et al. 1986 Krasovskii et al. 1979 Levin et al. 1988 Massaro and Massaro 1987 Overmann 1977 Rice 1985a). It appears that animals are affected at roughly the same blood lead levels as humans. Measured neurotoxic effects in animals include significantly delayed motor function and reflexes, decreased performance on learning tasks, and impaired spatial discrimination. Additional animal studies are needed to investigate the neurotoxic effects of subchronic inhalation exposures to establish external dose-effect relationships. 

In the case of noncarcinogenic substances, there exists a threshold this is an exposure with a dose below which there would not be adverse effect on the population that is exposed. This is the reference dose (RfD), and it is defined as the daily exposure of a human population without appreciable effects during a lifetime. The RfD value is calculated by dividing the no observed effect level (NOEL) by uncertainty factors. When NOEL is unknown, the lowest observed effect level (LOEL) is used. NOEL and LOEL are usually obtained in animal studies. The main uncertainty factor, usually tenfold, used to calculate the RfD are the following the variations in interspecies (from animal test to human), presence of sensitive individuals (child and old people), extrapolation from subchronic to chronic, and the use of LOEL instead of NOEL. Noncancer risk is assessed through the comparison of the dose exposed calculated in the exposure assessment and the RfD. The quotient between both, called in some studies as hazard quotient, is commonly calculated (Eq. 2). According to this equation, population with quotient >1 will be at risk to develop some specific effect related to the contaminant of concern. 

The database for HFC-134a is extensive it contains studies with both human subjects and animal models. Potentially sensitive populations, including patients with COPD and adult and pediatric asthmatic patients, were tested with direct inhalation of HFC-134a from metered-dose inhalers. The response of these groups was no different than that of healthy adults. The animal studies covered acute, subchronic, and chronic exposure durations and addressed systemic toxicity as well as neurotoxicity, reproductive and developmental effects, cardiac sensitization, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity. The metabolism of HFC-134a is well understood, and the relationship of exposure con... 

Chronic and subchronic toxicity studies are conducted to define the dose level, when given repeatedly, that cause toxicity, and the dose level that does not lead to toxic findings. In Japan, such studies are referred to as repeated-dose toxicity studies. As with single-dose studies, at least two animal species should be used, one rodent and one nonrodent (rabbit not acceptable). In rodent studies, each group should consist of at least 10 males and 10 females in nonrodent species, 3 of each sex are deemed adequate. Where interim examinations are planned, however, the numbers of animals employed should be increased accordingly. The planned route of administration in human subjects is normally explored. The duration of the study will be dictated by the planned duration of clinical use (Table 2.14). 

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