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. 2022 Jul-Aug;36(4):1710-1717.
doi: 10.21873/invivo.12883.

Acute Toxicity in the Rat Lung Induced by Intratracheal Instillation of Glycolic Acid

Seong Kwang Lim  1 , Haewon Kim  1 , Jean Yoo  1 , Woong Kim  1 , Ilseob Shim  1 , Byung-Il Yoon  2 , Pilje Kim  1 , Ig-Chun Eom  3
Affiliations

Acute Toxicity in the Rat Lung Induced by Intratracheal Instillation of Glycolic Acid

Seong Kwang Lim et al. In Vivo. 2022 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Background/aim: Inhalation toxicity tests of glycolic acid, which is used in many household products, have been reported, but the pulmonary toxicity of glycolic-acid has not been confirmed. Here, the lung damage caused by glycolic acid was investigated in rats.

Materials and methods: An intratracheal instillation test was performed with glycolic acid in male rats. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and histopathological analysis were conducted to identify the pulmonary toxicities.

Results: Intratracheal instillation of glycolic acid caused weight loss in animals and increased the content of lactate dehydrogenase, total protein, polymorphonuclear neutrophils, and inflammatory cytokines in BALF. In addition, pulmonary edema, alveolar/interstitial inflammation, and necrosis and desquamation of bronchial/bronchiolar epithelia were confirmed via histopathological examination.

Conclusion: Exposure to glycolic acid can be harmful and toxic to the lungs.

Keywords: Glycolic acid; intratracheal instillation; lung; toxicity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The Authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest in relation to this study.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Changes in body weight following intratracheal instillation of glycolic acid in rats.
Figure 2
Figure 2. The pulmonary toxicities induced by the intratracheal instillation test of glycolic acid in rats. (A) Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, (B) Total protein level in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The values are expressed as mean±SE of pentaplicate samples.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Change in pulmonary inflammation induced by glycolic acid in the intratracheal instillation test. (A) Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), (B) Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), (C) Macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), (D) Interleukin-6 (IL-6), (E) Interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), (F) Polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) count in BALF, (G) Diff-quick staining of BALF cells. The values are expressed as mean±SE of pentaplicate samples.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Histological features of representative lungs in each group of rats 1 day after intratracheal instillation of glycolic acid. In the Lowexposure group, note the acute alveolitis with neutrophil infiltration and hemorrhage. In the Middle-exposure group, multifocal inflammation is observed, which is expanding from the terminal bronchioles (b) (circles). Note the fibrinous pulmonary edema in High, characterized by the alveolar spaces filled with exudate fluid and fibrin. Also, in the High-exposure group, note the severe necrosis of epithelial cells of bronchioles (b) (the arrow). (a) alveolar space, (b) bronchioles. H&E. Magnification: 100× for Middle and High, 200× for Control and Low.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Histological features of representative lungs in each group of rats 7 days after intratracheal instillation of glycolic acid. In the Control and Low-exposure groups, no specific abnormal findings were observed. Focal chronic alveolitis with fibrosis was evident in M1. Note the thickened alveolar walls with fibrosis and mild accumulation of histiocytes around the terminal bronchiole (b) and in the alveolar spaces (a). In the Highexposure group, the pulmonary fibrosis is evident. H&E. Magnification: 100× for Control, Low and Middle, 200× for High.
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