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Neurochemical, but not behavioral, deviations in the offspring of rats following prenatal or paternal inhalation exposure to ethanol.

In addition to its widespread social use, ethanol is used extensively as an industrial solvent. Inhalation exposures to ethanol which produce narcosis in maternal rats are not teratogenic. The present study sought to extend the previous research by including offspring from paternal exposures, and testing for behavioral disorders in the offspring following maternal or paternal exposures. Groups of 18 male (approximately 450 g) and 15 female (200-300 g) Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed 7 hours/day for six weeks or throughout gestation to 16000, 10000, or 0 ppm ethanol by inhalation and then mated with untreated rats. Litters were culled to 4 males and 4 females, and were fostered within 16 hours after birth to untreated dams which had delivered their litters within 48 hours previously. Offspring from paternally or maternally exposed animals performed as well as controls on days 10-90 in tests of neuromotor coordination (ascent on a wire mesh screen, rotorod), activity levels (open field, modified-automated open field, and running wheel), and learning ability (avoidance conditioning and operant conditioning). In addition, brains of 10 21-day-old pups were analyzed for neurochemical differences from controls in concentrations of protein and the neurotransmitters acetylcholine, dopamine, norepinephrine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, substance P, Met-enkephalin, and beta-endorphin. Levels of acetylcholine, dopamine, substance P, and beta-endorphin were essentially unchanged in the offspring of rats exposed to ethanol. Complex, but significant changes in levels of norepinephrine occurred only in paternally exposed offspring. 5-Hydroxytryptamine levels were reduced in the cerebrum, and Met-enkephalin levels were increased in all brain regions of offspring from both maternally and paternally exposed rats.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Four weeks' inhalation exposure of rats to p-cymene affects regional and synaptosomal neurochemistry.

Long-lasting effects of inhalation exposure to p-cymene (p-isopropyl-toluene; CAS No. 99-87-6) on regional and subcellular brain neurochemistry were studied. Male Long-Evans rats were exposed to 0, 50, or 250 p.p.m. p-cymene 6 hr/day, 5 days/week for four weeks followed by an exposure-free period of 8 weeks. Synaptosomes were isolated from whole brain minus cerebellum and used as an ex situ model for in situ conditions at the level of the presynaptic nerve terminal. There was no persistent effect on wet weight (regional) or regional noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) concentrations owing to exposure. Yield of synaptosomal protein was statistically significantly reduced in an exposure concentration-related manner (Control: 16.6 +/- 3.1; 50 p.p.m.: 9.2 +/- 2.1; 250 p.p.m.: 8.6 +/- 1.7 mg protein/g tissue, mean +/- I.S.D.). Synaptosomal NA and DA concentrations and acethycholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, and lactate dehydrogenase activities were statistically significantly increased when expressed relative to synaptosomal protein. It is hypothesized that a reduced density and number of synapses in situ are functionally compensated for by increased NA and DA release from noradrenergic and dopaminergic presynaptic nerve terminals. The applicability of the synaptosome as an ex situ neurochemical research model for the presynaptic CNS nerve terminal in situ for the study of solvent neurotoxicity in rats was further supported.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Acute inhalation exposure to cyclohexane and schedule-controlled operant performance in rats: comparison to d-amphetamine and chlorpromazine.

Adult male rats pressed a lever on a multiple fixed ratio-fixed interval (FR20-FI120 sec) schedule of food presentation, and after attaining a stable baseline subjects received an acute inhalation exposure to cyclohexane vapor (0 ppm, 500 ppm, 2000 ppm, or 7000 ppm) for 6 hr. During the operant session that began 30 min after termination of exposure, FR running rate for the 7000 ppm group decreased 11% relative to performance on the previous day. FR post-reinforcement pause duration and the rate and pattern of FT performance were unaffected. Cyclohexane exposures of 500 or 2000 ppm had no detectable effects. No enduring effects of cyclohexane occurred up to 2 weeks after exposure. An independent set of rats, trained under nominally identical conditions, received various doses (i.p.) of d-amphetamine (AMPH) or chlorpromazine (CPZ) at 1-2 week intervals. Effective doses of AMPH decreased FR running rate, decreased FR post-reinforcement pause duration and increased FI rate of response. AMPH also decreased the FI index of curvature, indicating a change from an accelerating rate during the FI to a more constant rate. Effective doses of CPZ decreased FR rate, increased FR pause duration, decreased FI rate, and decreased FI index of curvature. Thus, schedule-controlled operant procedures that were sensitive to the effects of psychoactive drugs were able to identify only a minor and transient effect of the highest concentration (7000 ppm) of cyclohexane vapor on operant performance.

Animals↗

Effect of inhaled azodicarbonamide on F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice with 2-week and 13-week inhalation exposures.

Azodicarbonamide (ADA), a compound used in the baking and plastics industries, has been reported to cause pulmonary sensitization and dermatitis in people. Two-week repeated and 13-week subchronic inhalation exposures of F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice to ADA were conducted to determine the toxicity of inhaled ADA. The mean air concentrations of ADA in the 2-week studies were 207, 102, 52, 9.4, or 2.0 mg/m3. No exposure-related mortality nor abnormal clinical signs were observed in rats or mice during or after exposure. The terminal body weights were slightly depressed in the highest exposure group. Liver weights were lower in male rats exposed to 200 mg ADA/m3. No significant lesions were noted on either gross or histologic evaluation of rats or mice. In the 13-week subchronic study, the mean air concentrations of ADA were 204, 100, or 50 mg/m3. No mortality or clinical signs related to exposure were observed. The terminal body weights of exposed rats were not significantly different from those of control rats but were significantly depressed in mice exposed to 100 or 200 mg ADA/m3. No histopathological lesions were noted in mice. Lung weights were increased and enlarged mediastinal and/or tracheobronchial lymph nodes were noted in rats exposed to 50 mg ADA/m3. No exposure-related lesions were observed microscopically in rats exposed to 100 or 200 mg ADA/m3. All rats in the 50 mg ADA/m3 exposure group only had lung lesions that consisted of perivascular cuffing with lymphocytes and a multifocal type II cell hyperplasia, suggesting a possible immune reaction to an antigen in the lung. Viral titers for rats exposed to 50 mg ADA/m3 were negative for Sendai virus and pneumonia virus of mice, which produce similar lesions. The possibility of an unknown viral antigen causing this lesion cannot be eliminated. Lung tissue from male rats was analyzed for ADA and biurea, the major metabolite of ADA. No ADA was detected. The amount of biurea in the lungs increased nonlinearly with increasing exposure concentration, suggesting that clearance was somewhat impaired with repeated exposures. However, even at the highest exposure concentration, this amount of biurea was less than 1% of the estimated total ADA deposited over the exposure period. In summary, ADA is rapidly cleared from the lungs, even when inhaled at concentrations up to 200 mg/m3. Exposure to ADA for up to 13 weeks did not appear to be toxic to rodents.

Administration, Inhalation↗

The effects on the rat testis of single inhalation exposures to ethylene glycol monoalkyl ethers, in particular ethylene glycol monomethyl ether.

The effects of a single inhalation exposure to the rat of the saturated vapours derived from four ethylene glycol monoalkyl ethers have been investigated. No effects on the testis were observed following exposure to ethylene glycol isopropyl ether (EG ISOPE) and ethylene glycol butyl ether (EGBE), but there were marked reductions in testicular weight 14 days after exposure to ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME) and ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (EGEE). Further studies were designed to establish the effect of a single exposure to EGME. Mature male albino rats were exposed to various levels of EGME vapour for a single 4-h period and killed 14 days later. Following this single exposure a dose-related decrease in testis weight was observed in rats exposed to 5,000, 2,500 or 1,250 ppm EGME. Histopathological examination revealed disordered spermatogenesis and tubular atrophy in these animals. Minimal degenerative changes were seen in the testis of rats exposed to 625 ppm EGME. When rats were examined at various time intervals after exposure to EGME vapour for 4 h, testis weight was reduced in rats examined 2 days after exposure to 2,500 and 1,000 ppm EGME and remained depressed when compared with control values for up to 19 days following exposure. Histopathological examination of the testis revealed disordered spermatogenesis in exposed animals evident at 1 day following exposure to either 2,500 or 1,00 ppm EGME.

Animals↗

Dose-dependent disposition of n-hexane in F-344 rats after inhalation exposure.

The purpose of this study was to assess the disposition of radioactivity in rats after single inhalation exposures to varying concentrations of [1,2-14C]-n-hexane. Male Fischer 344 rats were exposed to 500, 1000, 3000 or 10,000 ppm 14C-n-hexane for 6 hr and the elimination of radioactivity followed for 72 hr after exposure. The disposition of radioactivity was dose-dependent, with 12, 24, 38 and 62% of the acquired body burden excreted as n-hexane by the lung with increasing exposure concentration. In contrast, 38, 31, 27 and 18% of the body burden of radioactivity was recovered as expired 14CO2 and 35, 40, 31 and 18% was recovered in the urine with increasing n-hexane concentration. Radioactivity remaining in the tissues and carcass 72 hr after exposure represented 6.1, 8.8, 7.4 and 5.4% of the body burden for the respective exposures. The dose-dependent elimination of radioactivity was apparently due in part to an inhibition of n-hexane metabolism, reflected by a decrease in total 14CO2 and urinary 14C excretion after 10,000 ppm exposure compared to the 3000 ppm exposure.

Animals↗

Two-year inhalation exposure of female and male B6C3F1 mice and F344 rats to chlorine gas induces lesions confined to the nose.

Chlorine gas is a respiratory irritant in both animals and humans that produces concentration-dependent responses ranging from minor irritation to death. Female and male B6C3F1 mice and F344 rats were exposed to chlorine gas for up to 2 years to determine chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity. Groups of approximately 70 each of female and male mice and rats were exposed to 0, 0.4, 1.0, or 2.5 ppm chlorine gas for 6 hr/day, 5 days/week (mice and male rats), or 3 alternate days/week (female rats) for 2 years, with an interim necropsy of rats at 12 months (10 rats/sex/concentration group). A complete necropsy was performed on all animals. Histological examination was performed on all organs from high-concentration and control animals and selected target organs from mid- and low-concentration groups. Exposure-dependent lesions were confined to the nasal passages in all sex and species groups. Chlorine-induced lesions, which were most severe in the anterior nasal cavity, included respiratory and olfactory epithelial degeneration, septal fenestration, mucosal inflammation, respiratory epithelial hyperplasia, squamous metaplasia and goblet cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia, and secretory metaplasia of the transitional epithelium of the lateral meatus. Intracellular accumulation of eosinophilic proteinaceous material was also a prominent response involving the respiratory, transitional, and olfactory epithelia, and in some cases the squamous epithelium of the nasal vestibule. Many of these nasal lesions exhibited an increase in incidence and/or severity that was related to chlorine exposure concentration and were statistically significantly increased at all chlorine concentrations studied. Male mice and female rats appeared more sensitive to chlorine than female mice and male rats, respectively. The reasons for the sex differences within a species were not determined. Interspecies differences in regional dosimetry and site-specific tissue susceptibility to chlorine exposure should be taken into account when using these data for accurate assessment of potential human health risks. The incidence of neoplasia was not increased by exposure, indicating that inhaled chlorine in rats and mice is an upper respiratory tract toxicant but not a carcinogen.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Effects of inhalation exposure to propylene oxide on respiratory tract, reproduction and development in rats.

Nasal, respiratory, reproductive and developmental toxicities of propylene oxide (PO) were examined by exposing male and female Sprague-Dawley rats to PO vapor by inhalation at a concentration of 0 (control), 125, 250, 500 or 1,000 ppm for 6 h/d, 7 d/wk, during a 5- to 6-wk period, including premating, mating and postmating or gestation. The inhalation exposure to 1,000 ppm PO seriously affected parental survival, the upper and lower respiratory tract, male and female reproductive systems, motor function, and fetal survival and development, whereas the exposure to 500 ppm or less primarily caused nasal lesions without any sign of reproductive or developmental toxicity. Because atrophy of the olfactory epithelium in the male rats exposed to 250 ppm was the most sensitive endpoint for PO toxicity, the NOAEL was determined to be 125 ppm for the nasal endpoint. An additional inhalation experiment was carried out to further examine developmental toxicity by exposing pregnant rats to 0, 125, 250, 500, 750 or 1,000 ppm PO during a 2-wk period of gestation, Day 6 through Day 19. The 2-wk inhalation experiment revealed that reduced fetal body weights and delayed ossification occurred in association with significantly reduced body weights of the dams exposed to 750 and 1,000 ppm, whereas neither fetal death nor teratogenicity occurred at those two exposure levels. It was concluded that the developmental toxicity of fetal death was manifested at parentally toxic exposure levels above 500 ppm, a level which seriously affected parental survival, the upper and lower respiratory tracts and reproductive system.

Animals↗

Effects of arsenic trioxide inhalation exposure on pulmonary antibacterial defenses in mice.

The effects of single and multiple (5 and 20) 3-h inhalation exposures to aerosols of arsenic trioxide on the pulmonary defense system of mice were investigated. Arsenic trioxide mist was generated from an aqueous solution and dried to produce particulate aerosols of 0.4 micron mass median aerodynamic diameter. Aerosol mass concentration ranged from 125 to 1000 micrograms As/m3. Effects of the exposures were evaluated by determination of changes in susceptibility to experimentally induced streptococcal aerosol infection and in pulmonary bactericidal activity to 35S-labeled Klebsiella pneumoniae. Significant increases in mortality due to the infectious challenge and decreases in bactericidal activity were seen after single 3-h exposures to 270, 500, and 940 micrograms As/m3. Similarly, 5 or 20 multiple 3-h exposures to 500 micrograms As/m3 produced consistently significant increases in mortality and decreases in pulmonary bactericidal activity. At 125 or 250 micrograms As/m3, a decrease in bactericidal activity was seen only after 20 exposures to 250 micrograms/m3. Results from earlier studies with an arsenic-containing copper smelter dust were compared to these data. The possibility of the development of adaptation during multiple exposures to arsenic trioxide is also considered.

Aerosols↗

Health risk assessment for inhalation exposure to arsenic.

Health risk assessment was used as the formal process to estimate the likelihood and magnitude of the health effects occurring in humans as a result of environmental and occupational exposure to polluting agents. This study was focused at estimating the human health risk of the general and working population living in the region polluted by arsenic for more than 40 years, from combustion of coal with high arsenic content in the power plant. The exposure to arsenic from inhalation was under investigation. A study period of 40 years (1973-1993) was chosen. The study period was defined taking into account, besides the availability of data, the temporal patterns of the technological processes and the trends over time of environmental concentrations. The results from the arsenic risk assessment study were used for the evaluation of the health risk for different population groups in the polluted areas and for different professions of workers exposed to As in a power plant. The results are applicable for the evaluation of risk in real conditions, for health surveillance and for remedial changes and a potential suggestion on technological improvement.

Adult↗

A novel method to aerosolize powder for short inhalation exposures at high concentrations: isolated rat lungs exposed to respirable diesel soot.

More efficient methods are needed to aerosolize dry powders for short-duration inhalation exposures at high concentrations. There is an increasing need to reach the peripheral lung with dry powder medications as well as with collected ambient aerosol particulates in environmental research projects. In a novel aerosol generator, a fixed volume of compressed air was used to create a short burst of a highly concentrated aerosol in a 300-ml holding chamber. Collected diesel soot was deagglomerated to a fine aerosol with a mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 0.55 microm, not much larger than the 0.25 microm MMAD of diesel exhaust particles measured in air. A fine powder such as 3-microm silica particles was completely deagglomerated to an aerosol with a MMAD of 3.5 microm. Immediately after generation, the aerosol was available for exposure at a chosen flow rate by the use of an automated valve system. Tritium-labeled diesel soot was thus used to expose the isolated perfused rat lung at an air concentration of approximately 3 mg/L and a flow rate of 370 ml/min in a 1-min-long exposure. The lungs were ventilated at 75 breaths/min and a tidal volume of 1.13 +/- 0.11 ml (SD, n = 3). Results showed that 19.8 +/- 1.1 microg (SD, n = 3) soot was deposited in the lungs. This amount constitutes 9.5% of the amount inhaled and is close to literature data on deposition of similar sized particles in the rat lung. More than 97% of the deposited soot was located distal to the extrapulmonary bronchi, indicating that the system delivers a highly respirable aerosol. The aerosol system is particularly useful for peripheral lung delivery of collected ambient aerosols or dry powder pharmaceuticals following a minimal effort in formulation of the powder.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Prenatal toxicity of inhalation exposure to 2-methoxypropanol-1 in rabbits.

2-Methoxypropanol-1 was investigated for prenatal toxicity in Himalayan rabbits after inhalation exposure to 0, 145, 225, 350, and 545 ppm for 6 hr per day from Gestation Day 6 through 18. Maternally toxic effects were found with decreased body weights from Day 12 of gestation through the end of the study at 545 ppm. A dose-dependent increase of resorptions, fetal malformations, and variations was observed at 225, 350, and 545 ppm, whereas 145 ppm was devoid of exposure-related effects. The malformation rate at 545 ppm was 100%. The types of malformations mainly consisted of absent phalanges and absent or rudimentary metatarsal bones, malformed ribs, and a unique enlargement of sternebrae. The effects are very similar to those previously found with 2-methoxypropyl-acetate-1. The results of this study may have implications for the quantitative estimation of risks associated with 2-methoxy-propanol-1 impurities in the widely used isomer 1-methoxypropanol-2 which itself does not show developmental toxicity.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Pulmonary response to toner upon chronic inhalation exposure in rats.

A chronic inhalation study of a test toner was conducted by exposure of groups of F-344 rats for 6 hr/day, 5 days/week for 24 months. The test toner was a special Xerox 9000 type xerographic toner, enriched in respirable-sized particles compared to commercial toner, such that it was about 35% respirable according to the ACGIH criteria. The target test aerosol exposure concentrations were 0, 1.0 (low), 4.0 (medium), and 16.0 (high) mg/m3. Titanium dioxide (5 mg/m3) and crystalline silicon dioxide (1 mg/m3), used as negative and positive controls for fibrogenicity, were also evaluated. Inhalation of the test toner or the control materials showed no signs of overt toxicity. Body weight, clinical chemistry values, food consumption, and organ weights were normal in the toner- and TiO2-exposed groups, except for a 40% increase in lung weight in the toner high-exposure group. All of the changes in the toner-exposed groups were restricted to the lungs or associated lymph nodes. A chronic inflammatory response was evident from the bronchoalveolar lavage parameters for the toner high-exposure group. The incidence of primary lung tumors was comparable among the three toner-exposed groups and the TiO2-exposed, and air-only controls, as well as consistent with historical background levels. A mild to moderate degree of lung fibrosis was observed in 92% of the rats in the toner high-exposure group, and a minimal to mild degree of fibrosis was noted in 22% of the animals in the toner middle-exposure group. The pulmonary changes in the toner high-exposure group were smaller in magnitude than those found in the crystalline silica-exposed group. The comparative fibrogenic potency of TiO2, toner, and SiO2 was estimated to be 1:5:418 using a dosimetric model and assuming a common mechanistic basis. There were no pulmonary changes of any type at the toner low-exposure level, which is most relevant in regard to potential human exposures. The lung alterations in the toner high-exposure group are interpreted in terms of "lung overloading," a generic response of the respiratory system to saturation of its detoxification capacity. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) criterion was met at the toner high (16 mg/m3)-exposure level.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Dominant lethal effects after inhalation exposure to 1,3-butadiene.

Two independent dominant lethal experiments were performed using different protocols with respect to strains of mice, inhalation exposure duration of 1,3-butadiene, and mating regimen. The short communication summarizes the results of the experiments and compares the induced dominant lethality according to the formula published by Ehling in 1978. Despite the differences in methodology the results are in close agreement. The sum of the dominant lethal effects observed during the first three mating weeks after 1 week of butadiene exposure in one experiment (23.1%) is surprisingly similar to the dominant lethal effect observed during 1 week of mating after 10 weeks of butadiene exposure (28.1%) in the other experiment. The results of the two independent experiments strengthen the conclusion that butadiene is a germ cell mutagen. Furthermore, the results indicate that the effect observed after 10 weeks of exposure is representative of the last three treatment weeks, i.e. treated spermatozoa and spermatids.

Administration, Inhalation↗

An evaluation of changes and recovery in the olfactory epithelium in mice after inhalation exposure to methylethylketoxime.

Methylethylketoxime, also known as MEKO or 2-butanone oxime (CAS No. 96-29-7), is a clear, colorless to light yellow liquid at room temperature. It is an industrial antioxidant used as an antiskinning agent in alkyd paint, an industrial blocking agent for urethane polymers, and a corrosion inhibitor in industrial boilers, and can be found in some adhesives and silicone caulking products. Male CD-1 mice were exposed 6 h/day, 5 days/wk, for 1, 2, 4, or 13 wk via whole-body inhalation exposures to MEKO vapor concentrations of 0, 3 +/- 0.1, 10 +/- 0.3, 30 +/- 1, or 100 +/- 2 ppm (10 mice/group/interval). Satellite animals were removed after 1, 2, 4, or 13 wk of exposure and allowed to recover for 4 or 13 wk (5 mice/group/interval). After termination, the nasal turbinates were evaluated microscopically, and cross-sectional nasal maps of the lesions were prepared. At the end of the 1-, 2-, 4-, and 13-wk exposure periods, degeneration of the olfactory epithelium lining the dorsal meatus was seen in the anterior region of the nasal cavity. In a few instances, the olfactory epithelium covering the tips of the nasoturbinal scrolls projecting into the dorsal region of the nasal cavity was also degenerated. Large areas of olfactory epithelium lying laterally and posteriorly were unaffected. In general, approximately 10% or less of the total olfactory tissue was affected. In several instances, the degenerated olfactory epithelium was reepithelialized by squamous/squamoid and/or respiratory types of epithelium. Degeneration, which was dose related in incidence and severity, was seen in mice exposed to 30 and 100 ppm after 1 wk of exposure and in several mice exposed to 10 ppm after 13 wk of exposure. The incidence and severity of the degeneration present after 1 wk of exposure did not increase with the longer exposures. The olfactory degeneration was reversible. Recovery was complete within 4 wk following exposures at 10 ppm and nearly complete within 13 wk after exposures at 30 and 100 ppm. A no-observed-effect level (NOEL) for the olfactory degeneration was considered to be 3 ppm.

Animals↗

Method for determining the lung burden of talc in rats and mice after inhalation exposure to talc aerosols.

A method has been developed to quantitate talc lung burdens in rats and mice after inhalation exposure to talc aerosols. The method is based on acid-insoluble magnesium (Mg) determination by flame atomic absorption. Precipitating protein from homogenates of lungs of unexposed rodents with 5% perchloric acid and washing with 5% trichloroacetic acid removed the soluble and naturally occurring Mg. This resulted in residual Mg content averaging 0.43 micrograms Mg per g lung in rats and less than 0.1 microgram Mg per g lung in mice for young rodents less than 12 weeks old. Rodents 12-18 months old had residual mean (+/- SD) Mg contents of 3.4 +/- 2.0 micrograms Mg per g rat lung (n = 17) and 6.5 +/- 2.9 micrograms Mg per g mouse lung (n = 12). Thus, the background residual acid-insoluble Mg content in rodent lungs appears to increase with age. Negligible quantities of Mg were extracted directly from the talc treated by these procedures. Adding 50-2000 micrograms talc to lungs from unexposed rodents, followed by the sample treatment, gave mean (+/- SD) Mg recoveries of 89 +/- 12% (n = 19) for rat lungs and 96 +/- 26% (n = 15) for mouse lungs. The lung burden of talc in rodents exposed to talc aerosols for 6 h per day, 5 days per week for 4 weeks was determined. Mean lung burdens in rats were 77, 187, and 806 micrograms talc per g lung (n = 10) for exposures at 2.3, 4.3, and 17 mg talc m-3, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aerosols↗

A physiologically based toxicokinetic model of inhalation exposure to xylenes in Caucasian men.

Widespread exposure to the volatile aromatic hydrocarbons, ortho-, meta-, and para-xylene occurs in many industries including the manufacture of plastics, pharmaceuticals, and synthetic fibers. This paper describes the development of a physiologically based toxicokinetic model using biomonitoring data to quantify the kinetics of ortho-, meta-, and para-xylenes. Serial blood concentrations of deuterium-labeled xylene isomers were obtained over 4 days after 37 controlled, 2h inhalation exposures to different concentrations of the isomers. Peak toxicant concentrations in blood occurred in all subjects at the termination of exposure. Systemic clearance averaged 116 L/h+/-34 L/h, 117 L/h+/-23 L/h, and 129 L/h+/-33 L/h for ortho-, para-, and meta-xylene, respectively. The half-life of each toxicant in the terminal phase (>90 h post-exposure) was fit by the model, yielding values of 30.3+/-10.2 h for para-xylene, 33.0+/-11.7 h for meta-xylene and 38.5+/-18.2 h for ortho-xylene. Significant isomeric differences were found (p<0.05) for toxicant half-life, clearance and extrahepatic metabolism. Inter-individual variability seen in this study suggests that airborne concentration guidelines may not protect all workers. A Biological Exposure Index is preferred for this purpose since it is integrative and reflective of inter-individual kinetic variability.

Adipose Tissue↗

Reproductive and developmental toxicity studies of toluene. I. Teratogenicity study of inhalation exposure in pregnant rats.

Toluene is a widely used solvent in industry which is the subject of abuse among the younger generation. A teratogenicity study of toluene by inhalation exposure was carried out in Sprague-Dawley rats and the effects on dams, fetuses and offspring were assessed. Pregnant females were exposed to 600 or 2000 ppm toluene for 6 h/day from day 7 to day 17 of pregnancy. The control group inhaled conditioned clean air under the same exposure conditions. Maternal exposure to 2000 ppm toluene caused significant toxic effects such as body weight suppression of dams and offspring, high fetal mortality and embryonic growth retardation, but no external, internal or skeletal anomalies were observed in the fetuses of any treated group. In addition, there were no differences in the results of pre- and postweaning behavioral tests of the offspring. However, no toxic or teratogenic changes which could be related to toluene exposure were apparent in the 600 ppm group. Further studies are warranted with toluene at higher concentrations applied during the period of organogenesis.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗