3D Structure Methylphenidate hydrochloride is a drug used in the treatment of narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. This drug was nominated for study by the Food and Drug Administration and the National Cancer Institute because of its widespread use in human medicine and because of lack of data on its potential carcinogenicity.
Oral administration is the most common route of human exposure.
Genetic toxicology studies were conducted in Salmonella typhimurium and in cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells. All rats survived to the end of the study. Absolute and relative liver weights of 4,000 ppm males and females were significantly greater than those of the controls. Clinical findings during the first week of the study included hyperactivity in 4,000 ppm males and females, but these animals appeared to be normal during the second week of treatment. Absolute and relative liver weights of all exposed groups of males and of 4,000 ppm females were significantly greater than those of the controls.