Testing Information

Testing Status of Agents at NTP

CAS Registry Number: 56-81-5 Toxicity Effects

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Selected toxicity information from HSDB, one of the National Library of Medicine's databases. 1

Names (NTP)

  • Glycerol
  • 1,2,3-PROPANETRIOL (9CI)

Human Toxicity Excerpts

  • GLYCERIN CAN EXERT SYSTEMIC TOXIC EFFECTS WHEN GIVEN ORALLY OR PARENTERALLY IN VERY LARGE DOSES. MAJOR TOXIC EFFECTS (HEMOLYSIS, HEMOGLOBINURIA, & RENAL FAILURE) ARE A FUNCTION OF CONCN & ROUTE OF ADMIN ... SYSTEMIC EFFECTS DO NOT FOLLOW COPIOUS APPLICATION TO SKIN. [Gilman, A. G., L. S. Goodman, and A. Gilman. (eds.). Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 6th ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. 1980., p. 952]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • OSMOTIC EFFECT OF GLYCERIN MAY ALSO PRODUCE TISSUE DEHYDRATION & DECR IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID PRESSURE. GLYCERIN PRODUCES ONLY VERY SLIGHT DIURESIS IN HEALTHY INDIVISUALS RECEIVING SINGLE DOSE OF 1.5 G/KG OR LESS. [McEvoy, G.K. (ed.). American Hospital Formulary Service - Drug Information 93. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Hospital Pharmacists, Inc., 1993 (Plus Supplements, 1993)., p. 1773]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • Adverse effects following oral administration of glycerin include mild headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, thirst, and diarrhea. [McEvoy, G.K. (ed.). American Hospital Formulary Service - Drug Information 93. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Hospital Pharmacists, Inc., 1993 (Plus Supplements, 1993)., p. 1774]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • Generally low risk health effects - Nuisance particulate, vapor, or gas. /Glycerin mist/ [Cralley, L.J., L.V. Cralley (eds.). Patty's Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology. Volume III: Theory and Rationale of Industrial Hygiene Practice. 2nd ed., 3A: The Work Environment. New York, NY: John Wiley Sons, 1985., p. 170]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • Serum osmolality abnormalities occur following exposure to ... glycerin ... . [Ellenhorn, M.J. and D.G. Barceloux. Medical Toxicology - Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Poisoning. New York, NY: Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc. 1988., p. 43]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • Severe dehydration, cardiac arrhythmias, and hyperosmolar nonketoic coma have been reported and may be fatal. [US Pharmacopeial Convention; US Pharmacopeia Dispensing Information (USP DI); Drug Information for the Health Care Professional 12th ed, V.I p.1456 (1992)]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • Side/adverse effects indicating need for medical attention: incidence less frequent - Confusion; incidence rare: irregular heartbeat. [US Pharmacopeial Convention; US Pharmacopeia Dispensing Information (USP DI); Drug Information for the Health Care Professional 12th ed, V.I p.1456 (1992)]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • Side/adverse effects indicating need for medical attention only if they continue or are bothersome: incidence more frequent - headache, nausea or vomiting; incidence less frequent, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth or increased thirst. [US Pharmacopeial Convention; US Pharmacopeia Dispensing Information (USP DI); Drug Information for the Health Care Professional 12th ed, V.I p.1456 (1992)]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • In human eyes, specular microscopy has shown that repeated application of 100% glycerin to the surface of the eye causes extensive changes in the apperance of the endothelium, but most of these changes disappear within 90 min after exposure is ended. [Grant, W.M. Toxicology of the Eye. 3rd ed. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1986., p. 463]**PEER REVIEWED**

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Non-Human Toxicity Excerpts

  • When introduced into the anterior chamber of the rabbit eye, full strength glycerin causes an inflammatory reaction and edema of the cornea with wrinkling of the posterior surface and damage of endothelial cells. [Grant, W.M. Toxicology of the Eye. 3rd ed. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1986., p. 463]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • Aq 50% glycerin in the anterior chamber of rabbits causes significantly less reaction, though within 5 min it visibly dehydrates the lens, causing its capsule to become wrinkled. [Grant, W.M. Toxicology of the Eye. 3rd ed. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1986., p. 463]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • RATS INJECTED IV WITH 10% GLYCEROL FOR 9 CONSECUTIVE DAYS, DEVELOPED AN INCR IN SUCCINATE DEHYDROGENASE & ACID PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY IN KIDNEY & DEGENERATION OF RENAL TUBULAR EPITHELIUM ULTRASTRUCTURE 1 & 4 DAYS AFTER LAST INJECTION. 19 DAYS LATER KIDNEYS WERE SIMILAR TO CONTROL. [NOWAK H ET AL; PATOL POL 30 (1): 61 (1979)]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • Glycerin diluted with water to 43% and applied for 30 min to rabbit eyes with mechanically damaged corneal endothelium has apparently produced only edema of conjunctiva and nicitating membrane lasting a few hours, even when repeated daily for 20 days. [Grant, W.M. Toxicology of the Eye. 3rd ed. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1986., p. 463]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • Enough rabbit corneal endothelial cells have survived to maintain normal deturgescence function after exposure of the epithelium to 30% glycerin for 20 min, 50% for 10 min, or 92% for 4 min, but 92% was observed to destroy the endothelium if exposure extended to 30 min. Endothelial damage in these circumstances can be explained on the basis of an osmotic, rather than a toxic, mechanism. [Grant, W.M. Toxicology of the Eye. 3rd ed. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1986., p. 463]**PEER REVIEWED**

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Human Toxicity Values

  • None found

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Non-Human Toxicity Values

  • None found

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Absorption, Distribution and Excretion

  • FOLLOWING ABSORBPTION FROM GI TRACT, GLYCERIN IS DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE BLOOD. ALTHOUGH GLYCERIN GLYCERIN GENERALLY DOES NOT APPEAR IN OCULAR FLUIDS, IT MAY ENTER THE ORBITAL SAC WHEN THE EYE IS INFLAMED, WITH A CONSEQUENT DECR IN OSMOTIC EFFECT. [McEvoy, G.K. (ed.). American Hospital Formulary Service - Drug Information 93. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Hospital Pharmacists, Inc., 1993 (Plus Supplements, 1993)., p. 1773]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • MOST OF AN ORALLY ADMIN DOSE ... IS INCORPORATED INTO BODY FAT ... APPROX 7-14% OF ... DOSE ... IS EXCRETED UNCHANGED IN THE URINE ... /WITHIN 2 1/2 HR AFTER ADMIN/. [McEvoy, G.K. (ed.). American Hospital Formulary Service - Drug Information 93. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Hospital Pharmacists, Inc., 1993 (Plus Supplements, 1993)., p. 1773]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • Following oral administration, glycerin is rapidly absorbed from the GI tract, and peak serum concn occur with 60-90 min. incr intraocular pressure begins to decline with 10-30 min following oral adminstration of glycerin. [McEvoy, G.K. (ed.). American Hospital Formulary Service - Drug Information 93. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Hospital Pharmacists, Inc., 1993 (Plus Supplements, 1993)., p. 1773]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • Elimination: renal; about 7 to 14% of a dose may be excreted unchanged within 2.5 hr. [US Pharmacopeial Convention; US Pharmacopeia Dispensing Information (USP DI); Drug Information for the Health Care Professional 12th ed, V.I p.1455 (1992)]**PEER REVIEWED**

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Metabolism/Metabolites

  • THE METABOLISM IS INITIATED: BY GLYCEROKINASE IN LIVER /AND MAY BE FURTHER METABOLIZED/ TO CARBON DIOXIDE & WATER, OR UTILIZED IN GLUCOSE OR GLYCOGEN SYNTHESIS; SOME COMBINE WITH FREE FATTY ACIDS TO FORM TRIGLYCERIDES. ABOUT 80% OF GLYCERIN METABOLISM OCCURS IN THE LIVER AND ABOUT 10-20% IN THE KIDNEY. ... WITHIN 2 1/2 HR MOST OF INGESTED DOSE HAS BEEN METABOLIZED; APPROX 7-14% OF ORALLY ADMIN DOSE IS EXCRETED UNCHANGED DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. [McEvoy, G.K. (ed.). American Hospital Formulary Service - Drug Information 93. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Hospital Pharmacists, Inc., 1993 (Plus Supplements, 1993)., p. 1773]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • RATS @ 12 & 21 DAYS OF GESTATION INJECTED IV WITH U-(14)C GLYCEROL & DECAPITATED 1, 3, OR 10 MIN LATER. CONVERSION OF GLYCEROL TO (14)C GLUCOSE WAS AUGMENTED IN 21 DAY PREGNANT RATS. DISAPPEARANCE OF GLUCOSE FROM BLOOD WAS FASTER IN PREGNANT RATS THAN IN CONTROLS. [CHAVES JM ET AL; BIOL NEONATE 37 172 (1980)]**PEER REVIEWED**
  • Biotransformation: hepatic; Onset of action: reduction in intraocular pressure - within 10 min; Time to peak effect: reduction in intraocular pressure and vitreous volume - 60 to 90 min; Duration of action: reduction in intraocular pressure - approximately 5 hr. [US Pharmacopeial Convention; US Pharmacopeia Dispensing Information (USP DI); Drug Information for the Health Care Professional 12th ed, V.I p.1455 (1992)]**PEER REVIEWED**

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TSCA Test Submissions

  • None found

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Footnotes

1 Source: the National Library of Medicine's Hazardous Substance Database, 10/28/2007.

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Web page last updated on May 14, 2008