Four-week inhalation toxicity, mutagenicity and immunotoxicity studies of Keum-Yeon-Cho (NosmoQ), tobacco substitute composition, in mice

Abstract

Safety of Kcum-Yeon-Cho (NosmoQ), a tobacco substitute composition, was evaluated in terms of acute- and 4,weeks repeated-inhalation toxicity, mutagenicity, and immunotoxicity using Balb/e mice. The air inside the inhalation chamber was collected and analyzed by GC-MS. In acute inhalation toxicity test, male and female mice were exposed to 40 Keum-Yeon-Cho cigarettes, The 50% lethal concentration (LC50) of NosmoQ was considered to be much higher than 40 cigarettes in both sexes. In 4-week repeated inhalation toxicity test, male and female mice were exposed for 6 h/day, 5 days/week for 4 weeks to 10 and 20 cigarettes per day, while control mice ere exposed to Filtered air. Our data indicated that no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of Keuna-Yeon-Cho should be over 20 cigarettes per day. Results of Salmonella typhimarium reversion assay with/without histidine moiety, in vivo chromosomal aberration and in vivo micronucleus assays using mouse bone marrow cells revealed that Kcum-Yeon-Cho has 110 mutagenicity. Evaluation of peripheral cellular immunity of mice treated with Keum-yeong-Cho using in vitro lymphocyte proliferation assay showed no significant difference in mean stimulation index (SI) between mice exposed to Keum-Yeon-Cho and control mice. Mean CO concentrations and total particulate matter contents of 10 and 20 cigarettes were 21.1 +/- 1.23 and 40.7 +/- 1.21 ppm (mean +/-S.D.. it = 5). and 25.7+/-3.09 and 59.0+/-4.0 mg dry weight (mean +/-S.D., n = 5), respectively. Although at negligible concentration (less than ppb level) several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were also detected, these results indicate that NosmoQ has no toxic effect on mice. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.