EFFECTS OF INTERMITTENT DICHLOROMETHANE INHALATION ON BLOOD CARBOXYHEMOGLOBIN CONCENTRATION AND DRUG-METABOLIZING-ENZYMES IN RAT

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 32  (3) , 535-544
Abstract
Rats were exposed to dichloromethane vapor at 500, 1000 or 1000 ppm as a time-weighted average. All exposures lasted for 6 h, 5 days/wk for 2 wk. Kidney microsomes displayed a dose-dependent enhancement of the ethoxy-coumarin O-deethylase activity. After the 2nd wk the enhancement was accompanied by an increase in renal glutathione content. In the liver, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activity showed a dose-dependent increase and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity decreased. Hepatic glutathione content remained unchanged. Dichloromethane exposure did not effect Hb concentration of the blood. An 8-9% COHb concentration was found after exposure in all groups. The similarity of COHb concentrations suggest that in the rat, the metabolic pathway converting dichloromethane to CO was saturated already at the lowest exposure level under study.