Revisiting the testicular toxicity of cyanide: Assessment of the new and existing literature.

Background: Based on new testing, we re-assess U.S. EPA and California OEHHA conclusions regarding male reproductive toxicity associated with cyanide exposure.

Systematic assessment of quaternary ammonium compounds for the potential to elicit developmental and reproductive effects.

Introduction: Quaternary ammonium compounds (QUATs) are commonly found in cleaning products, disinfectants, hand sanitizers, and personal care products. They have been used for >50 years and are considered safe when used according to directions. Recent papers report reduced fertility and neural tube defects in rodents after low-level exposures.

Teratogen update: Topical use and third-generation retinoids.

The first pharmaceutical retinoids approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration were given black-box warnings against their use in pregnancy due to potential teratogenic effects.

The limitations of using the NTP chronic bioassay on vanadium pentoxide in risk assessments.

Regulatory interest in assessing the health effects of vanadium compounds is hindered by the limited chronic toxicity data available. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) conducted a robust chronic inhalation bioassay of crystalline vanadium pentoxide (VO), but this study has noteworthy limitations. Multiple dose range-finding studies were conducted at two separate laboratories that showed cross-laboratory differences in lung pathology (inflammation) in both species and likely complicated dose-selection.

Impact of chloroform exposures on reproductive and developmental outcomes: A systematic review of the scientific literature.

Aims: We assessed the animal and epidemiological data to determine if chloroform exposure causes developmental and/or reproductive toxicity.

Results And Discussion: Initial scoping identified developmental toxicity as the primary area of concern. At levels producing maternal toxicity in rats and mice, chloroform caused decrements in fetal weights and associated delays in ossification.

Exposure of laboratory animals to small air ions: a systematic review of biological and behavioral studies.

Background: Air ions are molecules of air that have become ionized-that is, they have either lost or gained an electrical charge. Past speculation has suggested that exposure to positive air ions may be harmful to one's health, while exposure to negative air ions may be associated with beneficial health effects. Air ions arise from natural sources as well as direct-current transmission lines and commercial ionizers.

Adaptation of the ToxRTool to Assess the Reliability of Toxicology Studies Conducted with Genetically Modified Crops and Implications for Future Safety Testing.

To determine the reliability of food safety studies carried out in rodents with genetically modified (GM) crops, a Food Safety Study Reliability Tool (FSSRTool) was adapted from the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods' (ECVAM) ToxRTool. Reliability was defined as the inherent quality of the study with regard to use of standardized testing methodology, full documentation of experimental procedures and results, and the plausibility of the findings. Codex guidelines for GM crop safety evaluations indicate toxicology studies are not needed when comparability of the GM crop to its conventional counterpart has been demonstrated.

Gestational/perinatal chlorpyrifos exposure is not associated with autistic-like behaviors in rodents.

Although animal models cannot exactly replicate human psychiatric disorders, they may be useful to investigate whether the behaviors associated with certain exposures in animals parallel those observed in people. According to the most current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, autism is diagnosed based on (1) persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction; and (2) the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests and activities. To address whether developmental chlorpyrifos (CPF) exposure was associated with the development of autistic behaviors, a literature search was conducted to identify studies in rats and mice involving gestational or early postnatal exposure to CPF or CPF oxon (CPO, the active metabolite of CPF) and subsequent behavioral testing to assess behaviors related to autism.

Developmental and reproductive outcomes in humans and animals after glyphosate exposure: a critical analysis.

Glyphosate is the active ingredient of several widely used herbicide formulations. Glyphosate targets the shikimate metabolic pathway, which is found in plants but not in animals. Despite the relative safety of glyphosate, various adverse developmental and reproductive problems have been alleged as a result of exposure in humans and animals.

The potential of selected brominated flame retardants to affect neurological development.

Various brominated flame retardants (BFR), including polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), are commonly used in household items and electronics and have been detected in the environment and/or the bodily fluids of people, including children. Some studies in animals suggest that exposure to PBDE congeners, HBCD, or TBBPA during the perinatal period may affect locomotor activity and/or memory and learning. Epidemiological studies showing similar effects in humans, however, are lacking.

Trichloroethylene and ocular malformations: analysis of extant literature.

An evaluation of the scientific literature for trichloroethylene (TCE) identified two reports of ocular defects, specifically microphthalmia/anophthalmia, following prenatal TCE exposure in rats. Herein, these reports are analyzed in detail and interpreted within the context of other developmental TCE exposure studies. The ocular findings following prenatal TCE exposure are reported in studies that were not designed specifically for developmental safety assessment, and thus did not use standard experimental practices.

Evaluating emerging issues in epidemiology.

Industry and government institutions need a credible approach for evaluating and responding to emerging public health issues. Representatives of industry, government, and academia met under the auspices of the International Life Sciences Institute's Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) to develop successful strategies for dealing with emerging issues based on historical case studies. The case studies chosen for evaluation were (1) tampon use and toxic shock syndrome; (2) hazardous waste and childhood cancer risk in Toms River, New Jersey; (3) fenfluramine and phentermine use and valvular heart disease; (4) silicone breast implants and cancer and auto-immune disease; and (5) progestational drugs and birth defects.

Trichloroethylene-contaminated drinking water and congenital heart defects: a critical analysis of the literature.

The organic solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) is a metal degreasing agent and an intermediate in the production of fluorochemicals and polyvinyl chloride. TCE is also a common, persistent drinking water contaminant. Several epidemiological studies have alleged links between TCE exposure during pregnancy and offspring health problems including congenital heart defects (CHDs); however, the results of these studies are inconsistent, difficult to interpret, and involve several confounding factors.