Subchronic dermal toxicity study of allyl methacrylate in rabbits.

A 28-day subchronic dermal toxicity of allyl methacrylate (AMA) was conducted in New Zealand white rabbits. Groups of six male and six female rabbits were treated with the test material at dose levels of 0, 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg/day for four weeks. One satellite group of male and female rabbits was also treated with 100 mg/kg/day of AMA. No overt signs of toxicity or abnormal behavior were seen among the rabbits during the treatment period. Two females from the 50 mg/kg/day group and two females at the highest dose level died during the course of the study. No mortalities and no significant adverse effects were observed in the low dose and control rabbits. Males treated with the highest dose level exhibited reduced weight gain and lower food consumption. The test material has no significant adverse effects on serum biochemistry, urine and hematological parameters or absolute and relative organ weights. No chemical related gross pathological alterations were observed in any of the organs or tissues examined at the time of necropsy except slight hemorrhage in the fascia of the skin of rabbits treated with 100 mg/kg/day of AMA. There were no significant chemical related microscopic changes found in any of the test rabbits. The animals of the satellite group appeared fully recovered following the 28-day dermal exposure to AMA. These results suggest that it is unlikely that AMA will present a significant health hazard from skin contact under normal conditions of industrial handling.