Increased o- and p-cresol/hippuric acid ratios in the urine of four strains of rat exposed to toluene at thousands-ppm levels

Biomarkers of toluene exposure in rats: mercapturic acids versus traditional indicators (urinary hippuric acid and o-cresol and blood toluene)

1. Toluene (TOL) is a neurotoxic, ototoxic and reprotoxic solvent which is metabolized via the glutathione pathway, producing benzylmercapturic, o-, m- and p-toluylmercapturic acids (MAs). These metabolites could be useful as biomarkers of TOL exposure. 2. The aims of this study were (1) to provide data on MAs excretion in rat urine following TOL exposure by inhalation, (2) to compare them to data from traditional TOL biomarkers, i.e. TOL in blood (Tol-B), and urinary hippuric acid (HA) and o-cresol (oCre) and (3) to establish a relationship between these different indicators and the airborne TOL concentration (Tol-A). 3. Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to a range of TOL concentrations. Blood and urine were collected and analyzed to determine biomarker levels. 4. Levels of the four MAs correlate strongly with Tol-A (comparable to the correlation with Tol-B). 5. MAs are thus clearly superior to oCre and HA as potential markers of exposure to TOL.

Toxicokinetics of organic solvents: a review of modifying factors

This article reviews, with an emphasis on human experimental data, factors known or suspected to cause changes in the toxicokinetics of organic solvents. Such changes in the toxicokinetic pattern alters the relation between external exposure and target dose and thus may explain some of the observed individual variability in susceptibility to toxic effects. Factors shown to modify the uptake, distribution, biotransformation, or excretion of solvent include physical activity (work load), body composition, age, sex, genetic polymorphism of the biotransformation, ethnicity, diet, smoking, drug treatment, and coexposure to ethanol and other solvents. A better understanding of modifying factors is needed for several reasons. First, it may help in identifying important potential confounders and eliminating negligible ones. Second, the risk assessment process may be improved if different sources of variability between external exposures and target doses can be quantitatively assessed. Third, biological exposure monitoring may be also improved for the same reason.

Evoked potential changes from 13 weeks of simulated toluene abuse in rats

Fischer 344 rats were exposed to 8000 ppm toluene vapor in an 'abuse' paradigm for 13 weeks to develop an animal model for 'solvent neurotoxicity.' Exposures to toluene were multiple and short (15 to 35 min), adjusted according to tolerance. Although body weight was reduced 23% from controls, the toluene-exposed rats appeared healthy. Evoked potentials taken postexposure were, however, mildly to severely affected. Flash-evoked potentials were slow and topographically disorganized; 10 kHz tone-pip auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) had severe loss of power and loss of detail. Click and 30 kHz ABRs, somatosensory-evoked potentials, and caudal nerve action potentials were less affected. No neuropathologic changes were detected by light microscopy (perfusion fixation, special stains). Thus, postexposure multimodal functional effects were readily detected after subchronic, severe episodic exposures to toluene.

Similarities of toluene and o-cresol neuroexcitation in rats

Exposure to high concentrations of toluene vapors, or to intravenous o-cresol (a toluene metabolite) at about 0.9 mg/min, caused excitation of the somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) and EEG of Fischer 344 rats. SEP excitation was characterized by a large increase in a positive waveform at about 20-50 msec. Prolonged exposure to either compound caused numerous oscillations to appear from 20 msec to the end of the recording (150 msec). Both substances induced an increase in EEG beta activity and caused a large increase in activity at 5 Hz. Toluene exposed rats were lightly anesthetized, while o-cresol rats were conscious but hyperreactive. If exposure was continued, both sets of rats had involuntary muscle movements and tremors. Benzoic acid and hippuric acid, also metabolites of toluene, were similarly tested. Neither caused neuroexcitation (about 2.4 mg/min IV, 144 mg total dose). It was concluded, therefore, that metabolically derived cresols are plausible candidates for the neuroexcitatory properties of toluene.