Effects of Continuous Trichloroethylene Inhalation on Different Strains of Mice

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Abstract
Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a powerful solvent used in industrial degreasing operations. Seven different strains of mice (wild, C57BL, DBA, B6CBA, A/sn, NZB and NMRI) were continuously exposed to 150 ppm TCE during 30 days. After exposure all strains showed large increases in liver weight, while changes in kidney and spleen weights were small. Plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity increased in males of all strains and in females of strains A/sn and NZB. The increase in the females was less than that of the corresponding males. There are evidently moderate, but in some cases, significant differences in TCE sensitivity between different mouse strains. The differences observed between sexes emphasizes the importance of specifying sex as well as strain when reporting on toxic effects.