Male Sprague-Dawley rats ingested 0, 20 ppm, or 500 ppm of acrylonitrile in drinking water for 2 years. Rats receiving 500 ppm of acrylonitrile exhibited early mortality and retarded weight gain. Tumors of Zymbal's gland were associated in dose-response fashion with acrylonitrile exposure. Age-associated incidence of pituitary adenomas containing immunoreactive prolactin was decreased in acrylonitrile-treated rats. A decrease in pituitary tumor incidence also was observed in rats treated with low doses of acrylonitrile, suggesting that reduction in this tumor frequency was not because of early death. No increases were found in tumors of other organ systems, but a trend toward development of forestomach papillomas was noted in rats receiving the highest concentration of acrylonitrile.
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