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Behavorial effects of subchronic inhalation of toluene in adult rats
Citation:
BEASLEY, T. E., P. A. EVANSKY, M. E. GILBERT, AND P. J. BUSHNELL. Behavorial effects of subchronic inhalation of toluene in adult rats. TOXICOLOGICAL SCIENCES. Society of Toxicology, RESTON, VA, 32(6):611-619, (2010).
Impact/Purpose:
Toluene is a volatile organic compound (VOC) that is prevalent in samples of urban air. This report details the behavorial assessments of rats from two experiments.
Description:
Whereas the acute neurobehavioral effects oftoluene are robust and well characterized, evidence for persistent effects ofrepeated exposure to this industrial solvent is less compelling. The present studies sought to determine whether repeated inhalation oftoluene caused persistent behavioral changes in rats. Adult male Long-Evans rats inhaled toluene vapor (0, 10, 100, or 1000 ppm) for 6 hr/day, 5 days/week for either 13 weeks (Experiment 1) or 4 weeks (Experiment 2). Motor activity, anxiety-related behavior in the elevated plus-maze, and trace fear conditioning were unaffected by toluene in Experiment 1. Toluene delayed appetitivelymotivated acquisition ofa lever-press response in Experiment 1 but not in Experiment 2. Challenging the rats in Experiment 1 with acute inhalation oftoluene vapor (1200 -2400 ppm for 1 hr) and injections ofquinpirole (0.01 -0.03 mglkg) and raclopride (0.03 -0.10 mglkg) revealed no toluene-induced latent impairments in visual signal detection. Analysis ofa significant reduction in signal detection accuracy in the 1000-ppm group ofExperiment 2 (not seen in Experiment 1) by means ofparametric manipulations suggested a greater influence of attentional impairment than visual or motor dysfunction as a source for the deficit. These results are consistent with apattern ofsubtleand inconsistent long-termeffects ofdaily exposureto toluenevapor, incontrasttorobust andreliableeffects ofacuteinhalation ofthesolvent.
