Chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity studies of chromium picolinate monohydrate administered in feed to F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice for 2 years

• Published in: Food and chemical toxicology Vol. 47; no. 4; pp. 729 - 733
• Main Authors: Stout, M.D., Nyska, A., Collins, B.J., Witt, K.L., Kissling, G.E., Malarkey, D.E., Hooth, M.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: adverse effects; animal models; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Body weight; Carcinogenesis, carcinogens and anticarcinogens; carcinogenicity; Carcinogenicity Tests; Chemical agents; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; chromium; chromium picolinate monohydrate; Diet; dietary exposure; dietary supplements; Female; gender differences; long term effects; Male; Medical sciences; Metals and various inorganic compounds; Mice; National Toxicology Program; Neoplasms, Experimental - chemically induced; Picolinic Acids - toxicity; Preputial gland; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Supplement; toxicity; toxicity testing; Toxicity Tests, Chronic; Toxicology; Trivalent chromium; Tumors; CPM; Preputial gland; Diet; Cr(III); LMWCr; Body weight; Supplement; National Toxicology Program; NTP; CP; Trivalent chromium; Program; Nutrition; Rat; Toxicity; Rodentia; Transition metal; Feeding; Vertebrata; Chronic; Toxicology; Mammalia; Mouse; Carcinogenicity testing; Animal; Chromium; Supplementation; Feed
• ISSN: 0278-6915; 1873-6351
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2009.01.006

Trivalent chromium (Cr(III)) has been proposed to be an essential element, which may increase sensitivity to insulin and thus participate in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Humans ingest Cr(III) both as a natural dietary constituent and in dietary supplements taken for weight loss and antidiabetic effects. Chromium picolinate (CP), a widely used supplement, contains Cr(III) chelated with three molecules of picolinic acid and was formulated in an attempt to improve the absorption of Cr(III). In order to examine the potential for CP to induce chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity, the NTP conducted studies of the monohydrate form (CPM) in groups of 50 male and female F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice exposed in feed to concentrations of 0, 2000, 10,000 or 50,000
ppm for 2 years; exposure concentrations were selected following review of the data from NTP 3-month toxicity studies. Exposure to CPM did not induce biologically significant changes in survival, body weight, feed consumption, or non-neoplastic lesions in rats or mice. In male rats, a statistically significant increase in the incidence of preputial gland adenoma at 10,000
ppm was considered an equivocal finding. CPM was not carcinogenic to female rats or to male or female mice.