Subchronic oral toxicity of cellulose acetate in rats

Cellulose acetate was administered by way of a dietary admixture to Sprague-Dawley rats (20/sex/group) at dose levels of 0, 500, 2500 and 5000 mg/kg body weight/day for 94–96 days. Physical observations, body weight and food consumption measurements were made before testing and throughout the study. Ophthalmoscopic examinations were conducted on all animals before testing and just prior to study termination. Haematology, clinical chemistry and urinalysis were performed at 1.5 and 3 months on 10 animals/sex/group. After 3 months of treatment the animals were killed, terminal body weights and organ weights were measured and ratios calculated. Histopathological examination of tissues from the control and high-dose groups was conducted. The evaluation of physical observations, ophthalmology, body weight, food consumption, haematology, clinical chemistry, organ-to-body-weight ratios, gross pathology and histopathology revealed no evidence of an adverse effect related to treatment with cellulose acetate.