Toxic responses in gerbils treated topically with aflatoxin B1 and dimethylformamide.

Male and female Mongolian gerbils failed to show observable pathological responses in the liver to topically applied AFB1 and DMF indicating that percutaneous absorption of AFB1 is absent in this species. In males, some responses in weight changes were attributed, proportionally, to increased doses of DMF. Unexplained and currently under investigation is the possibility that AFB1 may have reduced the response of some animals to DMF. This response may relate in some way to the modification of absorption of DMF in the gerbil since AFB1 is known to have an influence on cell membranes.