EFFECTS OF HEXANE ON THE BRAIN-STEM AUDITORY RESPONSE AND CAUDAL NERVE ACTION-POTENTIAL

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 4  (1) , 79-85
Abstract
In a study on the neurotoxicity of abused inhalants, male Fischer rats were exposed to several concentrations of hexane, administered continuously or intermittently. The 5th component of the brainstem auditory-evoked response (BAER) increased in latency and decreased in amplitude in rats exposed to 1000 ppm of hexane 24 h/day, 5 days/wk, for 11 wk. The 1st component of the BAER was only slightly affected, indicating that the increased latency of the 5th component reflected a brainstem dysfunction. Latency returned to normal within 5 wk after termination of exposures, but amplitude did not. Latency of the compound action potential of the ventral caudal nerve of the tail of these rats was also increased and this effect was still present 22 wk after termination of the exposure. Other rats were not as severely affected by repeated, brief (10 min) exposures to 24,000 or 48,000 ppm hexane 6 or 12 times/day; only the amplitude of the 5th BAER component was affected by the 48,000-ppm exposure.