Evidence of tolerance following repeated exposure to toluene in the rat

Abuse-like toluene exposure during early adolescence alters subsequent ethanol and cocaine behavioral effects and brain monoamines in male mice

Currently, there is a gap in understanding the neurobiological impact early adolescent toluene exposure has on subsequent actions of other drugs. Adolescent (PND 28-32) male Swiss-Webster mice (N = 210) were exposed to 0, 2000, or 4000 ppm of toluene vapor for 30 min/day for 5 days. Immediately following the last toluene exposure (PND 32; n = 15) or after a short delay (PND 35; n = 15), a subset of subjects' brains was collected for monoamine analysis. Remaining mice were assigned to one of two abstinence periods: a short 4-day (PND 36) or long 12-day (PND 44) delay after toluene exposure. Mice were then subjected to a cumulative dose response assessment of either cocaine (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 mg/kg; n = 60), ethanol (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 g/kg; n = 60), or saline (5 control injections; n = 60). Toluene concentration-dependently increased locomotor activity during exposure. When later challenged, mice exposed previously to toluene were significantly less active after cocaine (10 and 20 mg/kg) compared to air-exposed controls. Animals were also less active at the highest dose of alcohol (4 g/kg) following prior exposure to 4000 ppm when compared to air-exposed controls. Analysis of monoamines and their metabolites using High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), nucleus accumbens (NAc), dorsal striatum (dSTR), and ventral tegmental area (VTA) revealed subtle effects on monoamine or metabolite levels following cumulative dosing that varied by drug (cocaine and ethanol) and abstinence duration. Our results suggest that early adolescent toluene exposure produces behavioral desensitization to subsequent cocaine-induced locomotor activity with subtle enhancement of ethanol's depressive effects and less clear impacts on levels of monoamines.

Striatal dopamine dynamics in mice following acute and repeated toluene exposure

RATIONALE

The abused inhalant toluene has potent behavioral effects, but only recently has progress been made in understanding the neurochemical actions that mediate the action of toluene in the brain. Available evidence suggests that toluene inhalation alters dopamine (DA) neurotransmission, but toluene's mechanism of action is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

The present study evaluated the effect of acute and repeated toluene inhalation (0, 2,000, or 4,000 ppm) on locomotor activity as well as striatal DA release and uptake using slice fast-scan cyclic voltammetry.

RESULTS

Acutely, 2,000 and 4,000 ppm toluene increased locomotor activity, while neurochemically only 4,000 ppm toluene potentiated electrically evoked DA release across the caudate-putamen and the nucleus accumbens. Repeated administration of toluene resulted in sensitization to toluene's locomotor activity effects. Brain slices obtained from mice repeatedly exposed to toluene demonstrated no difference in stimulated DA release in the caudate-putamen as compared to control animals. Repeated exposure to 2,000 and 4,000 ppm toluene caused a concentration-dependent decrease of 25-50 % in evoked DA release in the nucleus accumbens core and shell relative to air-exposed mice.

CONCLUSIONS

These voltammetric neurochemical findings following repeated toluene exposure suggest that there may be a compensatory downregulation of the DA system. Acute or repeated toluene exposure had no effect on the DA uptake kinetics. Taken together, these results demonstrate that acute toluene inhalation potentiates DA release, while repeated toluene exposure attenuates DA release in the nucleus accumbens only.

Abuse pattern of toluene exposure alters mouse behavior in a waiting-for-reward operant task

Inhaling solvents for recreational purposes continues to be a world-wide public health concern. Toluene, a volatile solvent in many abused products, adversely affects the central nervous system. However, the long-term neurobehavioral effects of exposure to high-concentration, binge patterns typical of toluene abuse remain understudied. We studied the behavioral effects of repeated toluene exposure on cognitive function following binge toluene exposure on behavioral impulse control in Swiss Webster mice using a "wait-for-reward" operant task. Mice were trained on a fixed-ratio (FR) schedule using sweetened milk as a reward. Upon achieving FR15, a wait component was added which delivered free rewards in the absence of responses at increasing time intervals (2s, 4s, 6s, etc...). Mice continued to receive free rewards until they pressed a lever that reinstated the FR component (FR Reset). Once proficient in the FR-Wait task, mice were exposed to either 1000 ppm, 3600 ppm or 6000 ppm toluene, or 0ppm (air controls) for 30 min per day for 40 days. To avoid acute effects of toluene exposure, behavior was assessed approximately 22-23 h later. Repeated toluene exposure decreased response rates, the number of FR resets, and increased mean wait time, resulting in a higher response-to-reinforcer ratio than exhibited by controls. Mice receiving the higher exposure level (6000 ppm) showed a dramatic decrease in the number of rewards received, which was reversed when toluene exposure ceased. Mice receiving the lower exposure level (1000 ppm) showed little change in the number of rewards. These results indicate that repeated binge exposures to high concentrations of toluene can significantly interfere with performance as measured by a waiting-for-reward task, suggesting a significant impact on cognitive and/or psychomotor function.

Repeated inhalation of toluene by rats performing a signal detection task leads to behavioral tolerance on some performance measures

Previous work showed that trichloroethylene (TCE) impairs sustained attention as evidenced by a reduction in accuracy and elevation of response latencies in rats trained to perform a visual signal detection task (SDT). This work also showed that these effects abate during repeated exposures if rats inhale TCE while performing the SDT. The present experiment sought to determine whether toluene, another commonly-used solvent, would induce tolerance similarly if inhaled repeatedly during SDT testing. Sixteen male, Long-Evans rats were trained to perform the SDT. Upon completion of training, rats were divided into 2 groups. In Phase I, concentration-effect functions were determined for toluene (0, 1200, 1600, 2000, 2400 ppm) in both groups. Toluene reduced the proportion of correct responses [P(correct)], and increased response time (RT) and response failures. In Phase II, Group-Tol inhaled 1600 ppm toluene while Group-Air inhaled clean air during 11 daily SDT sessions. In Group-Tol the effect of toluene on P(correct) abated after 3 days, while RT remained elevated for the duration of the repeated exposures. In Phase III, toluene concentration-effect functions were re-determined for both groups. Group-Air remained impaired on all test measures, whereas for Group-Tol, toluene did not reduce P(correct), but continued to increase RT. These data confirm our previous hypothesis that animals can develop tolerance to chemical exposures that impair appetitively-motivated behaviors if that impairment leads to loss of reinforcement.

Tolerance and sensitization to inhaled 1,1,1-trichloroethane in mice: results from open-field behavior and a functional observational battery

RATIONALE

1,1,1-Trichloroethane (TCE), a representative abused solvent, has well described acute behavioral effects in animals. Much less is known about repeated high-concentration exposures as would be encountered in inhalant abusers. Tolerance has been demonstrated in some, but not all, studies with TCE while sensitization has also been seen with other abused solvents.

OBJECTIVE

The present study was designed to further characterize changes in the effects of repeated exposure to TCE on a variety of mouse behaviors.

METHODS

Mice were tested using locomotor activity as well as a functional observational battery (FOB) both before and after a regimen of daily exposures to various concentrations of TCE.

RESULTS

The initial locomotor effects of acute 30-min exposures to TCE were biphasic with concentration-dependent increases in activity at lower concentrations and decreases observed at higher concentrations. The profile of acute effects as measured by the FOB included changes in posture, decreased arousal, disturbances in gait, delayed righting reflexes, and decreased sensorimotor reactivity. Animals were then divided into five groups and exposed 30 min/day to either air or one of four concentrations of TCE (2,000, 6,000, 10,000, or 13,300 ppm) for 15 consecutive days. The TCE concentration used primarily affected the magnitude of change, not whether tolerance or sensitization occurred. Tolerance developed on the measures of forelimb grip strength, inverted screen, and number of rears. Conversely, sensitization developed to measures of locomotor activity.

CONCLUSION

Depending on the behavioral measure, both tolerance and sensitization can occur in mice with repeated exposure to TCE. Both of these phenomena are characteristic of drugs of abuse.

Evaluation of 1,1,1-trichloroethane and flurothyl locomotor effects following diazepam treatment in mice

The abused volatile solvent 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCE) shares many acute behavioral effects with central nervous system (CNS) depressants; however, demonstration of tolerance to these effects has been difficult. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the development of TCE-induced changes in locomotor activity in mice following repeated injections with diazepam. In the initial concentration-effect curve determinations, diazepam decreased locomotor activity at all doses tested and TCE produced a biphasic effect, increasing locomotor activity at lower concentrations with return to control levels at a high (16,000 ppm) concentration. Flurothyl, a vapor with convulsive properties, had no pronounced effects on locomotor activity at subconvulsant concentrations. Following four daily injections with vehicle or with 10 mg/kg/day diazepam, mice were administered the same concentration of drug/inhalant that they received initially and were retested for locomotor activity effects. Concentration-effect curves for diazepam and flurothyl were not altered by this modest regimen of repeated dosing with diazepam. In contrast, sensitization to the locomotor-stimulating effects of TCE was observed in diazepam-treated mice, but not in vehicle-treated mice. These results suggest that the development of sensitization to TCE involves common mechanisms with those that are affected by repeated dosing with the CNS depressant diazepam.

Characterizing tolerance to trichloroethylene (TCE): effects of repeated inhalation of TCE on performance of a signal detection task in rats

Previous work showed that rats develop tolerance to the acute behavioral effects of trichloroethylene (TCE) on signal detection if they inhale TCE while performing the task and that this tolerance depends more upon learning than upon changes in metabolism of TCE. The present study sought to characterize this tolerance by assessing signal detection in rats during three phases of TCE exposures. Tolerance was induced in Phase 1 (daily 1-h test sessions concurrent with TCE exposure), extinguished in Phase 2 (daily tests in air with intermittent probe tests in TCE), and reinduced in Phase 3. Original induction in Phase 1 required 2 weeks, whereas reinduction in Phase 3 required less than 1 week. Tolerance persisted for 2 (accuracy) or 8 weeks [response time] in Phase 2 and was resistant to changes in test conditions in Phase 3. The slow induction, gradual extinction, savings during reinduction and lack of disruption from altered test conditions suggest mediation by instrumental learning processes. These data and most other evidence for behavioral tolerance to solvents can be explained by solvent-induced loss of reinforcement.

Behavioral components of tolerance to repeated inhalation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in rats

The possibility that the acute neurotoxic effects of organic solvents change with repeated exposure will affect risk assessment of these pollutants. We observed previously that rats inhaling trichloroethylene (TCE) showed a progressive attenuation of impairment of signal detection behavior across several weeks of intermittent exposure, suggesting the development of tolerance. Here, we explored the development of tolerance to TCE during two weeks of daily exposures, and the degree to which learned behavioral modifications ("behavioral tolerance") could account for the effect. Adult Long-Evans rats were trained to perform a visual signal detection task (SDT) in which a press on one lever yielded food if a visual stimulus (a "signal") had occurred on that trial, and a press on a second lever produced food if no signal had been presented. In two experiments, with 2000 and 2400 ppm of TCE respectively, trained rats were divided into two groups (n = 8/group) with equivalent accuracy and then exposed to TCE in two-phase studies. In Phase 1, one group of rats received daily SDT tests paired with 70-min TCE exposures, followed by 70-min exposures to clean air after testing. The other group received daily SDT tests in clean air, followed by 70-min exposures to TCE (unpaired exposure and testing). All rats thus received the same number and daily sequence of exposures to TCE that differed only in the pairing with SDT testing. Both concentrations of TCE disrupted performance of the paired groups and this disruption abated over the 9 days of exposure. In Phase 2, the pairing of exposure and test conditions were reversed for the two groups. The groups that were shifted from unpaired to paired exposures (Unpaired-Paired groups) showed qualitatively similar patterns of deficit and recovery as did the rats whose tests were initially paired with TCE (Paired-Unpaired groups), indicating that task-specific learning was involved in the development of tolerance. Quantitative differences in the magnitude and duration of the effects of TCE in the two groups indicated that other factors, not specific to the SDT, also contributed to the development tolerance to TCE. Published by Elsevier Science Inc.

A rat model of neurobehavioral sensitization to toluene

Some individuals report that, following either a single high-level or repeated lower-level exposures to chemicals (initiation), subsequent exposure to very low concentrations of chemicals (triggering) produces a variety of adverse effects, including disruption of cognitive processes. Our objective was to model this two-step process in a laboratory animal. Two groups of 16 rats, eight male and eight female, received whole-body inhalation exposure to toluene, either at 80 ppm for 6 h/day for 4 weeks (Repeat group) or to 1600 ppm for 6 h/day on one day only (Acute group). Two other groups (Trigger group and Clean group) of 16 were sham-exposed. After 17 days without toluene exposure, the Acute, Repeat and Trigger groups began a series of daily toluene 'trigger' exposures (10 ppm for 1 h) followed immediately by testing on an operant repeated-acquisitions task requiring learning within and across sessions. The Clean group was sham-exposed prior to operant testing. Trigger or sham exposures and operant testing continued 5 days/week for 17 sessions. Analysis of variance revealed a variety of statistically significant (P < 0.05) differences between treatment groups. Furthermore, the patterns of differences between groups differed (P < 0.05) for female and male rats. For example, male rats of the Trigger group made the most responses, and female rats of the Repeat group responded most slowly. The observation of important changes in the operant behavior of female and male rats previously exposed to toluene, at relatively low concentrations (80 or 1600 ppm) and then later re-exposed at very low concentrations (10 ppm), is consistent with the experiences of humans reporting cognitive difficulties following acute or chronic exposures to chemicals.

Toluene-induced oxidative stress in several brain regions and other organs

The in vivo dose-response relationship between toluene and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation in rat brain, liver, kidney, and lung, and the time-course of these effects has been characterized. The rate of oxygen radical formation was measured using the probe 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate. In vivo exposure to various doses of toluene (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 g/kg ip) elicited a dose-dependent elevation of ROS generation within crude mitochondrial fractions obtained from rat lung and kidney, and within crude synaptosomal fractions from cerebellum. ROS formation in crude mitochondrial fractions from liver, and crude synaptosomal fractions from striatum and hippocampus, reached a maximum value at relatively low doses of toluene. Of the brain regions, the hippocampus had the highest induced levels of ROS. In vivo exposure to a single dose of toluene (1.5 g/kg ip), revealed that toluene-induced ROS reached a peak within 2 h, which correlated directly with measured toluene blood levels. This elevated oxidative activity was maintained throughout the next 24 h, even though blood values of toluene decreased to negligible amounts. These results demonstrate that exposure to toluene results in broad systemic elevation in the normal rate of oxygen radical generation, with such effects persisting in the tissues despite a rapid decline in toluene blood levels. Acute exposure to toluene may lead to extended ROS-related changes, and this may account for some of the clinical observations made in chronic toluene abusers.

Effects of toluene and its metabolites on cerebral reactive oxygen species generation

The effects of toluene on lipid peroxidation and rates of reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation have been studied in isolated systems and in vivo. The induction of reactive oxygen species was assayed using the probe 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA). Toluene exposure (1 g/kg, 1 hr, i.p.) did not stimulate cortical lipid peroxidation as evaluated by measurement of conjugated dienes. Exposure to toluene, however, both in vivo and in vitro, caused a significant elevation of ROS formation within cortical crude synaptosomal fractions (P2) and microsomal fractions (P3). The ROS-inducing properties of toluene were blocked in vivo in the presence of a mixed-function oxidase inhibitor, metyrapone. This suggested that a metabolite of toluene may catalyze reactive oxygen formation. Both benzyl alcohol and benzoic acid, in vitro, were found to have free radical quenching properties, while benzaldehyde exhibited significant induction of ROS generation. It appears that benzaldehyde is the metabolite responsible for the effect of toluene in accelerating reactive oxygen production within the nervous system. Benzaldehyde may also contribute to the overall neurotoxicity of toluene.

CNS depressant effects of volatile organic solvents

Volatile chemicals used widely as solvents can produce acute effects on the nervous system and behavior after inhalation exposure, and many are subject to abuse. This review considers the nature of the acute effects of volatile organic solvents by comparing their actions to those of classical CNS depressant drugs such as the barbiturates, benzodiazepines and ethanol. Like CNS depressant drugs, selected inhalants have been shown to have biphasic effects on motor activity, disrupt psychomotor performance, have anticonvulsant effects, produce biphasic drug-like effects on rates of schedule-controlled operant behavior, increase rates of punished responding, enhance the effects of depressant drugs, serve as reinforcers in self-administration studies and share discriminative stimulus effects with barbiturates and ethanol. Toluene and 1,1,1-trichloroethane, as well as subanesthetic concentrations of halothane, have been the most extensively studied; however, it is unclear whether important differences may exist among solvents in their ability to produce a depressant profile of acute effects. The possibility that selected solvents can have acute effects similar to those of depressant drugs may shed light on the nature of their acute behavioral toxicology and on their abuse.