Studies of nephrotoxicity due to mixed exposure to styrene and toluene

Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated simultaneously with 4 mmol styrene per kg i.p., twice a day at an interval of 4 h, and 10 mmol toluene per kg once a day, 5 days a week for 4 consecutive weeks. After the last day of treatment, the rats were placed in metabolism cages for collection of urines for 24 h and then were sacrificed. Such mixed exposure produced significant increases in the urinary excretion of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, glucose and proteins as compared to those with either solvent alone. An increase, but not significant, in the urinary excretion of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase was also noticed due to such exposure. Electron microscopic examination of renal cortex 24 h after the mixed exposure showed the appearance of many vacuoles of various sizes surrounded by a single membrane, which were not seen in rats treated with either styrene or toluene alone. Metabolism studies showed only a significant increase in the urinary excretion of hippuric acid due to mixed exposure. These data indicate that under certain conditions, mixed subchronic exposure to styrene and toluene may have the potential to increase further the nephrotoxic response as compared to that of either solvent alone.