A 4-week Repeated Dose Toxicity Study of Glycine in Rats by Gavage Administration

In order to examine the toxicity profile of glycine, an authorized food additive, a solution of glycine in water for injection was administered orally (via gavage) to male SD rats (Crl:CD(SD)) once daily for 4 weeks at doses of 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg/day in a volume of 10 mL/kg. Control animals received vehicle only. No animals died, and no glycine-related changes were observed in body weight, food consumption, water consumption, hematology, organ weight, gross pathological examination or histopathological examination. In urinalysis, daily urinary volume and urinary Cl excretion were significantly higher in the 2000 mg/kg/day dose group, and urine pH and urinary protein showed lower trends in the glycine-treated groups. However, these changes were considered to be of little toxicological significance, because there were no histopathological changes in the kidneys or urinary bladder and no changes in other urinary parameters. As regards blood chemistry, phospholipids were significantly higher in the 2000 mg/kg/day dose group. However, the increase was small and was not considered to be toxicologically significant. In conclusion, none of the animals in any of the glycine-treated groups showed changes that were considered toxicologically significant. Therefore, the no-observed-adverse-effect level of glycine was estimated to be at least 2000 mg/kg/day under the conditions of this study.