[TOXICOMETABOLOMICS: DETERMINATION OF MARKERS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO LOW DOSES OF ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS]

Area of Science:

• Environmental Toxicology
• Metabolomics
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Chronic exposure to aliphatic hydrocarbons can impact physiological functions.
• Understanding the metabolic effects of low-dose hydrocarbon exposure is crucial for risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the metabolic profile changes in rat plasma following chronic inhalational exposure to low doses of C₆-C₁₀ aliphatic hydrocarbons.
• To identify novel metabolic markers indicative of hydrocarbon toxicity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a combination of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance, high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HP-HR LC-MS).
• Employed chemometric methods for data analysis and presentation.
• Investigated plasma metabolic profiles in white non-linear rats under normal and exposed conditions.

Main Results:

• Continuous 90-day exposure to 160 ± 20.5 mg/m³ of C₆-C₁₀ hydrocarbons caused significant metabolic impairments in the liver and kidneys.
• Lower doses (31.4 ± 5.6 mg/m³ and 5.2 ± 1.8 mg/m³) induced smaller, yet significant, metabolic changes.
• The ratio of pyrophosphoric acid to oxalic acid concentrations in plasma, termed the "pyrophosphate index," was identified as a highly sensitive marker for toxic effects.

Conclusions:

• Low-dose chronic exposure to C₆-C₁₀ aliphatic hydrocarbons induces discernible alterations in plasma metabolic profiles.
• The "pyrophosphate index" serves as a novel and sensitive biomarker for hydrocarbon-induced toxicity.
• A potential pathogenetic mechanism involves the violation of redox balance, contributing to neuropathies and associated pathologies.