Toxicological potency of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin relative to 100 other compounds: a relative potency analysis of in vitro and in vivo test data. 1995

T D Jones
Health Sciences Research Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee 37831-6101, USA.

A common definition of relative potency is the dose of a reference compound required to cause a particular incidence of a specific toxic response divided by the dose of a test compound needed to cause an equal incidence of that same effect. In this simple manner, toxicological assessments for a chemical of concern can be made in terms of another compound about which much is known from a human health perspective. Relative potency factors were used to compare 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin CAS # 1746-01-6 (TCDD) with 100 other compounds both individually and collectively. All results were standardized to a common scale that spanned many orders of magnitude and was indexed to an arbitrary potency of unity for benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P]. From comparisons between 2,771 pairs of bioassay results (i.e., matched experimental design conditions) for TCDD compared with the 100 other compounds, it was found that TCDD is about 600 times as toxic as B(a)P (interquartile range of 130 to 1,900). The distribution of relative potency values is fitted accurately with a log-normal distribution function having an untransformed mean of 550 and an untransformed slope (i.e., the inverse of the standard deviation of the distribution) of 140. These factors combined with (a) a reference lifetime carcinogenic risk level of 1/100,000 and (b) a universal, potency-dependent risk coefficient (estimated from the collection of epidemiologically-based carcinogens) yielded estimates that equally toxic concentrations for TCDD should be in the range of 13 pg/m3 and 7 pg/L in air and water, respectively.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009154 Mutation Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations. Mutations
D011247 Pregnancy The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Gestation,Pregnancies
D012015 Reference Standards A basis of value established for the measure of quantity, weight, extent or quality, e.g. weight standards, standard solutions, methods, techniques, and procedures used in diagnosis and therapy. Standard Preparations,Standards, Reference,Preparations, Standard,Standardization,Standards,Preparation, Standard,Reference Standard,Standard Preparation,Standard, Reference
D002273 Carcinogens Substances that increase the risk of NEOPLASMS in humans or animals. Both genotoxic chemicals, which affect DNA directly, and nongenotoxic chemicals, which induce neoplasms by other mechanism, are included. Carcinogen,Oncogen,Oncogens,Tumor Initiator,Tumor Initiators,Tumor Promoter,Tumor Promoters,Initiator, Tumor,Initiators, Tumor,Promoter, Tumor,Promoters, Tumor
D004247 DNA A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine). DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D004249 DNA Damage Injuries to DNA that introduce deviations from its normal, intact structure and which may, if left unrepaired, result in a MUTATION or a block of DNA REPLICATION. These deviations may be caused by physical or chemical agents and occur by natural or unnatural, introduced circumstances. They include the introduction of illegitimate bases during replication or by deamination or other modification of bases; the loss of a base from the DNA backbone leaving an abasic site; single-strand breaks; double strand breaks; and intrastrand (PYRIMIDINE DIMERS) or interstrand crosslinking. Damage can often be repaired (DNA REPAIR). If the damage is extensive, it can induce APOPTOSIS. DNA Injury,DNA Lesion,DNA Lesions,Genotoxic Stress,Stress, Genotoxic,Injury, DNA,DNA Injuries
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000072317 Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins Dibenzodioxin derivatives that contain multiple chloride atoms bound to the benzene ring structures. TCDD,Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin,2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin,Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins,Dibenzo(b,e)(1,4)dioxin, 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-,PCDD,Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins,Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxin,Polychlorodibenzo-4-dioxin,Polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxin,Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin,Chlorinated Dibenzo p dioxins,Dibenzo-p-dioxins, Chlorinated,Dibenzo-p-dioxins, Polychlorinated,Dibenzodioxin, Polychlorinated,Dibenzodioxins, Polychlorinated,Polychlorinated Dibenzo p dioxins,Polychlorodibenzo 4 dioxin,Polychlorodibenzo p dioxin,Tetrachlorodibenzo p dioxin
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia

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