Subacute Toxicity Studies with Zinc Sulfate in Mice and Rats

Abstract

ICR mice and Wistar rats of both sexes were fed a diet containing ZnSO₄ at 0, 300, 3, 000 and 30, 000ppm for 13 weeks. Animals in the 30, 000ppm group showed retarded growth along with low food intake, abnormal values in a few hematological parameters and regressive changes of the pancreatic exocrine gland. In addition, mice had decreased water intake and significant deviations in biochemical parameters, toxic lesions appeared in the stomach, intestine and spleen of both sexes and in the kidney of females. Four males and one female mouse were found dead or moribund during the study. The maximum no-effect level of ZnSO₄ was determined to be 3, 000ppm, which is approximately equivalent to the following milligram doses: mice; male 458mg/kg/day, female 479mg/kg/day, rats; male 234mg/kg/day, female 243mg/kg/day.