Toxicity Profile for Polyvinylpyrrolidone (1991)

Abstract

Polyvinylpyrrolidone did not irritate or induce sensitization when applied to the skin of volunteers, and was not irritant to the eyes of rabbits. It was of low acute toxicity when administered by the intravenous route in humans or by the oral and intravenous routes in various species of laboratory animals. In man, injections have resulted in PVP deposits in various tissues (particularly in the reticulo-endothelial system) and structural changes in some instances. Repeated oral administration in rabbits, dogs and rats has been associated with deposits and effects in a number of tissues including the liver and lymph nodes. There was no evidence of carcinogenicity in limited studies in rats treated by the oral route, but there were some signs of an association between tumour development and PVP injection in rodents. No genotoxic activity was seen in a range of screening assays including the Ames bacterial test and rodent injection studies.