[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 40, Volume 31]
[Revised as of July 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 40CFR795.225]

[Page 63-65]
 
                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT
 
         CHAPTER I--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED)
 
PART 795_PROVISIONAL TEST GUIDELINES--Table of Contents
 
             Subpart D_Provisional Health Effects Guidelines
 
Sec.  795.225  Dermal pharmacokinetics of DGBE and DGBA.


    (a) Purpose. The purpose of these studies is to determine:
    (1) The absorption of diethylene glycol butyl ether (DGBE) after 
administration by the dermal route.
    (2) The biotransformation of DGBE administered dermally.
    (3) The dermal absorption of DGBE and diethylene glycol butyl ether 
acetate (DGBA).
    (b) Test procedures--(1) Animal selection--(i) Species. The species 
utilized for investigating DGBE and DGBA shall be the rat, a species for 
which historical

[[Page 64]]

data on the toxicity and carcinogenicity of many compounds are available 
and which is used extensively in percutaneous absorption studies.
    (ii) Animals. Adult female Sprague Dawley rats shall be used. The 
rats shall be 7 to 8 weeks old and weigh 180 to 220 grams. Prior to 
testing, the animals shall be selected at random for each group. Animals 
showing signs of ill health shall not be used.
    (iii) Animal care. (A) The animals should be housed in 
environmentally controlled rooms with 10 to 15 air changes per hour. The 
rooms should be maintained at a temperature of 25 2 [deg]C and humidity of 50 10 
percent with a 12-hour light/dark cycle per day. The rats should be 
isolated for at least 7 days prior to use.
    (B) During the acclimatization period, the rats should be housed in 
cages on hardwood chip bedding. All animals shall be provided with 
conventional laboratory diets and water ad libitum.
    (2) Administration of DGBE and DGBA--(i) Test substances. These 
studies require the use of \14\C-labeled DGBE and DGBA. The use of 
\14\C-DGBE and \14\C-DGBA is required for the determinations in 
paragraphs (a) (1), (2), and (3) of this section because they will 
facilitate the work and improve the reliability of quantitative 
determinations.
    (ii) Dosage and treatment. (A) Two doses of DGBA shall be used in 
the study, a ``low'' dose and a ``high'' dose. Three doses of DGBE shall 
be used in the study, a neat ``low'' dose, an aqueous ``low'' dose, and 
neat ``high'' dose. When administered dermally, the ``high'' dose level 
should ideally induce some overt toxicity such as weight loss. The 
``low'' dose level should correspond to a no observed effect level.
    (B) For dermal treatment, the doses shall be applied in a volume 
adequate to deliver the prescribed doses. The backs of the rats should 
be lightly shaved with an electric clipper shortly before treatment. The 
dose shall be applied with a micropipette on a specific area (for 
example, 2 cm\2\) on the freshly shaven skin.
    (iii) Washing efficiency study. Before initiation of the dermal 
absorption studies described in paragraph (b)(2)(iv)(A) of this section, 
an initial washing efficiency experiment shall be performed to assess 
the extent of removal of the applied DGBE and DGBA by washing with soap 
and water. Groups of four rats should be lightly anesthetized with 
sodium pentobarbital. These animals shall then be treated with dermal 
doses of test substance at the low dose level. Soon after application (5 
to 10 minutes) the treated animals shall be washed with soap and water 
then housed in individual metabolism cages for excreta collection. Urine 
and feces shall be collected at 8, 24, and 48 hours following dosing. 
Collection of excreta shall continue every 24 hours if a significant 
amounts of DGBE, DGBA, or metabolites continue to be eliminated.
    (iv) Determination of absorption, biotransformation, and excretion. 
(A) Eight animals shall be dosed once dermally with the low dose of 
\14\C-DGBE.
    (B) Eight animals shall be dosed once dermally with the high dose of 
\14\C-DGBE.
    (C) Eight animals shall be dosed once dermally with the low dose of 
\14\C-DGBA.
    (D) Eight animals shall be dosed once dermally with the high dose of 
\14\C-DGBA.
    (E) The high and low doses of \14\C-DGBE and \14\C-DGBA shall be 
kept on the skin for 24 hours. After application, the animals shall be 
placed in metabolism cages for excreta collection. After 24 hours, any 
test material remaining on the skin will be washed off and the 
containment cell removed. Radiolabeled material in the wash will be 
accounted for in the total recovery. Urine and feces shall be collected 
at 8, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after dosing, and if necessary, daily 
thereafter until at least 90 percent of the dose has been excreted or 
until 7 days after dosing, whichever occurs first.
    (3) Observation of animals--(i) Urinary and fecal excretion. The 
quantities of total \14\C excreted in urine and feces by rats dosed as 
specified in paragraph (b)(2)(iv) of this section shall be determined at 
8, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after dosing, and if necessary, daily 
thereafter until at least 90 percent of the dose has been excreted or 
until 7 days after dosing (whichever occurs first). Four animals from 
each group shall be used for this purpose.

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    (ii) Biotransformation after dermal dosing. Appropriate qualitative 
and quantitative methods shall be used to assay urine specimens 
collected from rats dosed with DGBE as specified in paragraph (b)(2)(iv) 
of this section. Any metabolite which comprises greater than 10 percent 
of the dose shall be identified.
    (c) Data and reporting--(1) Treatment of results. Data shall be 
summarized in tabular form.
    (2) Evaluation of results. All observed results, quantitative or 
incidental, shall be evaluated by an appropriate statistical method.
    (3) Test report. In addition to the reporting requirements as 
specified in the TSCA Good Laboratory Practice Standards, in part 792, 
subpart J of this chapter, the following specific information shall be 
reported:
    (i) Species, strain, and supplier of laboratory animals.
    (ii) Information on the degree (i.e., specific activity for a 
radiolabel) and sites of labeling of the test substances.
    (iii) A full description of the sensitivity and precision of all 
procedures used to produce the data.
    (iv) Relative percent absorption by the dermal route for rats 
administered low and high doses of \14\C-DGBE and \14\C-DGBA.
    (v) Quantity of isotope, together with percent recovery of the 
administered dose, in feces and urine.
    (vi) Biotransformation pathways and quantities of DGBE and 
metabolites in urine collected after administering single high and low 
dermal doses to rats.

[53 FR 5946, Feb. 26, 1988, as amended at 54 FR 41834, Oct. 12, 1989]