Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the toxicity on target organ after continuous intramuscular injection of ethyl pyruvate injection. METHODS：The high，medium and low dose groups and solvent control group were set up，according to the age，weight and gender. Each group had 15 animals. EP injections were given intramuscularly at 2 400，1 600，50 mg/kg，and equal volume of solvent in hindlimbs or buttocks for 14 days. We measured blood indicators and documented the extent of EP toxicity in rats. RESULTS：14 days after EP injection all animals survived. But there was overt toxicity within 5 minutes after high dose injection such as convulsion，pronation，hindlimb rigor and tachypnea. But these signs subsided gradually. No such serious toxicity were observeol in the medium and low dose groups. No flaccid toxicity was found in any group after drug withdrawal. CONCLUSION：EP injection at high dosage (2 400 mg/kg) exerted overt toxicity in the central nervous system，but reversible for 30 minutes after injection. Thus，as a single dose，EP injection had no long-term toxicity in rats.

Key words: ethyl pyruvate, injection, rats, long-term toxicity test