26-Week repeated oral dose toxicity study of the new quinolone antibacterial DW-116 in Sprague–Dawley rats

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential subchronic toxicity of DW-116 by a 26-week repeated oral dose in Sprague–Dawley rats. The test article, DW-116, was administered daily by gavage to male and female rats at dose levels of 0, 5, 25 and 125 mg/kg/day. At the end of the treatment period, 12 rats/sex/group were sacrificed, while six extra rats/sex in the vehicle control and highest dose groups were sacrificed after a 4-week recovery. During the test period, clinical signs, mortality, body weights, food and water consumption, ophthalmoscopy, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, gross findings, organ weights and histopathology were examined. There was no treatment-related mortality. An increase in the incidence of post-dosing salivation was observed in both sexes of the highest dose group. At the scheduled autopsy, an increase in the liver weight was observed in males of the highest dose group in a dose-dependent manner. Hematological investigations revealed a dose-dependent increase in the total white blood cell (WBC) and lymphocyte counts in males treated with the 125 mg/kg dose. Total bilirubin and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values were also increased in males at the same dose. These effects were completely reversible during the recovery period. There were no adverse effects on body weight, food and water consumption, ophthalmoscopy, urinalysis, necropsy findings and histopathology in any treatment group. Based on these results, it was concluded that the 26-week repeated oral dose of DW-116 caused increases in the liver weight, WBC counts, total bilirubin and ALT values in males at a dose level of 125 mg/kg/day. The target organ was determined to be the liver and WBC in males, but not in females. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was considered to be 25 mg/kg/day for males and 125 mg/kg/day for females.