Brain lipid changes after organic solvent exposure

Animals (rats, gerbils and guinea pigs) were exposed to various common solvents. The brain lipids were extracted and analysed. In particular the fatty acid pattern of a major phospholipid, ethanolamine, phosphoglyceride was studied. A major finding was that some chlorinated solvents, trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and 1,1,1-trichloroethane, had effects on the ethanolamine phosphoglyceride fatty acid pattern, while most other solvents, like toluene, xylene, white spirit and Freon 11 lacked this effect. Relatively small, but significant, changes were observed in the proportions of the polyunsaturated fatty acids of both the n-6 and n-3 series. The selective effect of the chlorinated solvents might indicate that they have a specific effect on the enzymatic regulation of membrane fatty acid composition. However, the lack of effects of other solvents might also be explained by low blood levels, due either to a low uptake (Freon 11, white spirit) or an extensive metabolism (toluene, xylene). Intrauterine exposure of guinea pigs to perchloroethylene (160 ppm) during the last half of gestation had minor effects on the ethanolamine phosphoglyceride fatty acid pattern. Thus it appears that animals during the period of rapid brain growth are equally sensitive to exposure as adult animals.