Hemolysis as a possible indicator of neurotoxicity induced by organic solvents

The expense, length of time and number of animals required for routine toxicity testing have provided the incentive for finding alternative techniques which are faster, less expensive and equally valid. The purpose of this work was to examine the value of a simple in vitro test (hemolysis) as a correlate of the neurotoxicity produced by commonly used industrial organic solvents. Incubation of rat erythrocytes with organic alcohols produced hemolysis which correlates with the potency of the same alcohols to suppress membrane excitability, measured as reduction in the evoked action potential of the rat sciatic nerve. The hemolytic activity also reflects changes in water solubility among the compounds and thus can be used as an index of in vivo neurotoxicity, the extent of which partly depends on absorption of the agent and delivery to nerve tissue. Hemolysis therefore may be of value as a preliminary test for assessing the neurotoxicity of organic solvents.