Validation of a Rodent Nose-only Exposure System for Inhalation Toxicity Evaluation of Cigarette Smoke

As part of a balanced testing battery, subchronic inhalation studies on rats are performed to ensure that proposed cigarette modifications do not increase the toxicity of smoke and to demonstrate any instances where a modification may actually contribute to harm reduction. For subchronic inhalation studies with aerosols, the OECD suggests an exposure regimen of 6 hours/day (OECD Guideline 413, 1981), but alternative regimens have also been published: 1 hour/day and $2{\times}1$ hour/day. The aim of this study was to validate a rodent nose-only exposure system for the assessment of inhalation toxicity of cigarette smoke. In this study, cigarette smoke exposure system is consisted of cigarette smoke generator, smoke concentration adjusting system, and 20-port nose-only exposure system. Male SD rats were exposed for 35 days ($2{\times}1$ hour/day) to 3R4F Reference cigarette smoke and analysed major monitoring items of OECD Gudeline 413. WTPM, was measured in the test atmosphere, respiratory function (Buxco Biosystems) during exposure, postexposure urinary exposure biomarkers and alveolar neutrophiles in BAL fluid (Day 35) were evaluated. Validation demonstrated steady WTPM ($257{\pm}20ug/L$, $502{\pm}27ug/L$) and spatial uniformity (<10%). Nose port temperature ($22{\sim}26^{\circ}C$ and RH (45~75%) were acceptable over 35 days. Reductions in respiratory rate and minute volume and increase in the neutrophiles in BALF and the urinary exposure biomarkers were observed cigarette smoke dose dependently. This validation and 35-day inhalation study has shown that the rodent nose-only exposure system may be useful in the inhalation toxicity assessment of cigarette smoke.

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