J. Bruckner, W. Guess
1972
Citations
0
Influential Citations
6
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
Toxicology and applied pharmacology
Abstract
Abstract The presence of residual 2-chloroethanol has been demonstrated in ethylene oxidesterilized plastic materials. Previous studies from this laboratory have shown 2-chloroethanol to be acutely toxic to various rabbit tissues. The present study was undertaken to assess more accurately the nature of the damage to dermal and epidermal structures. Ic injections of several concentrations of ethanol and 2-chloroethanol were carried out utilizing the shaved back of albino rabbits. Appraisal of the toxic response of each compound with the light microscope revealed a classical inflammatory reaction, the magnitude of which varied directly with the administered concentration. In zones of higher alcoholic concentration, coagulative necrosis of collagen and dermal cellular structures was present. The peripheral areas, like the lower concentration injection sites, showed plentiful polymorphonuclear leukocytes and edema, but no visible changes in fibroblasts or other cellular structures. However, scrutiny with the electron microscope revealed a number of degenerative subcellular changes, including unusually shaped nuclei and nucleoli, vacuolization, intracellular inclusion bodies, plasmalemmal retraction, swelling of the endoplasmic reticulum, aggregation of ribosomes and tonofibrils and degenerated mitochondria. Both ethanol and 2-chloroethanol exerted similar toxic effects, although 2-chloroethanol was always more potent. The chlorine atom potentiates the lipophilicity of the ethanol molecule, thus enhancing its protein denaturing and lipid solvating properties.