Renal cystic disease induced in newborn rats by diphenylamine derivatives.

The present study evaluated the effects of diphenylamine (DPA) on the kidneys of rats born of mothers fed the compound and derivatives during the last 6 days of gestation. Cystic lesions were confined to the proximal nephron in newborn rats, in contrast with the localization in the collecting ducts after long-term feeding of DPA to adult rats. Variations observed in the incidence and severity of the cystic changes in several series of animals appeared to depend upon the commercial source of the DPA. Thin-layer chromatography of DPA preparations revealed several components in addition to pure DPA. Lesions were produced in newborn offspring of pregnant rats fed microgram quantities of one of these component, whereas none were seen after feeding of chromatographically pure DPA.