Assessment of the chloracnegenic response induced by 3,4,3',4'-tetrachloroazoxybenzene in mice.

Chloracne is a follicular hyperkeratosis produced by exposure to certain halogenated aromatic compounds. The rabbit ear bioassay has been used successfully for testing the acnegenic activity of compounds, but the lack of reference data in this species limits its usefulness in correlating chloracne to other toxic effects such as skin carcinogenesis. In this study, a prototype chloracnegen, 3,4,3',4'-tetrachloroazoxybenzene (TCAOB), was used. Five strains of mice (hairless, rhino, rhino+, DBA/2J, and C57BL/6) were treated topically with 100 microliters of 0.001, 0.01, or 0.1% TCAOB daily for 3-9 wk. Skin and liver histology were performed and hepatic enzyme activities measured. At the 0.001% TCAOB level, induction of hepatic aniline hydroxylase and cytochrome P-450 occurred in the C57BL/6 mice and induction of cytochrome c reductase occurred in the rhino mice. Dose-dependent gross and histologic skin lesions, characteristic of follicular hyperkeratosis, were observed in the rhino and hairless strains at the 0.01% and 0.1% levels. These two strains also had induction of hepatic cytochrome c reductase, cytochrome P-450, and aniline hydroxylase at TCAOB concentrations of 0.01 or 0.1%. These results suggest that the rhino and hairless strains of mice may be useful in the study of chloracne.