Glial cell toxicity of ethyleneglycol monomethylether vapor

Biochemical effects of methyl tertiary-butyl ether in extended vapour exposure of rats

Male Wistar rats exposed to 50, 100 or 300 ppm methyl tertiary-butyl ether vapour for 2-15 weeks, 6 h daily, 5 days a week, showed a dose-dependent blood ether concentration after 2 weeks' exposure. Blood concentrations of tertiary-butanol, were also dose dependent indicating metabolic breakdown of the ether in vivo. The blood ether concentrations decreased after 6 weeks of exposure at the 50 ppm dose level and remained unaffected at higher doses while tertiary-butanol concentrations increased after 6 weeks with all doses, and began to decrease thereafter. Exposure caused a transient increase in UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities in liver and kidney microsomes, almost no effects on hepatic cytochrome P-450 concentrations and a minor induction of kidney microsomal cytochrome P-450 content. Exposure produced almost no effect on brain succinate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase or acetylcholinesterase activities, while early inhibition of muscle creatine kinase activity was noted, accompanied by increased activity at the end of exposure.

Neurotoxicity of furfuryl alcohol vapor in prolonged inhalation exposure

Three-month-old male Wistar rats exposed intermittently (5 days weekly, 6 hr/day) to furfuryl alcohol vapor at 1 (25 ppm), 2 (50 ppm), or 4 mumol/liter (100 ppm) for 4 to 16 weeks were lighter than controls at the end of the experiment at the two higher concentration levels. Urinary furoic acid excretion was in a linear relationship to the exposure at the same time. Analysis for cerebellar creatine kinase showed increased activity in all groups throughout the experiment while succinate dehydrogenase activity decreased in a dose-dependent manner at later time points. Glial cell fractions isolated from cerebral hemispheres showed decreased succinate dehydrogenase activity while 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase activity increased at 4 mumol/liter for 16 weeks. This change was accompanied by decreased basic protein content of isolated myelin fractions. The results indicate that furfuryl alcohol, at fairly low vapor concentrations, may have significant mitochondrial effects in the brain which lead to glial cell degeneration and initiation of demyelination.

Neurochemical effects of extended exposure to white spirit vapour at three concentration levels

Male Wistar rats were exposed to 575 (100 ppm), 2875 (500 ppm) or 5750 mg/m3 (1000 ppm) white spirit vapour for 4-17 weeks 5 days a week, 6 h daily. Perirenal fat solvent concentration corresponded in composition and concentration to those of the vapour at all times. The neurochemical effects included a dose-dependent decrease in the cerebellar succinate dehydrogenase activity for 8 weeks while creatine kinase activity increased after 12 weeks. The specific creatine kinase activity in the glial cell fraction, a marker for astroglia, did not increase suggesting proliferation of astroglial cells in the homogenate. The serum creatine kinase activity originating mainly from striated muscle was below the control range at the two higher concentrations after 12 weeks. Simultaneous analyses for isolated muscle membrane sialic acid and uronic acid residues showed decreased concentrations in proportion to lipid phosphorus or total membrane protein. Thus, the white spirit mixture has neurochemical effects possibly caused by paraffins and the same components may have caused the muscle cell membrane effects. The lowest exposure concentration represents a virtual 'no effect' level for rats in the 17-week exposure.

Dose-dependent effects of peroral dimethylformamide administration on rat brain

Three-month-old Wistar rats were given dimethylformamide in their drinking water at three concentrations. Succinate dehydrogenase activity decreased at the two higher doses in brain after 2 or 7 weeks. Decreased glutathione concentration occurred at the highest dose. Cerebral azoreductase activity was below the control range after 7 weeks at all doses. Glial cell succinate dehydrogenase activity was below the control range in all animals. No qualitative changes in the spinal cord axon protein composition were detected. It is postulated that formic acid generated in the dimethylformamide metabolism might have led to a significant derangement of cerebral energy metabolism.