Effects of continuous trichloroethylene inhalation on different strains of mice

Seven different strains of mice (wild, C57BL, DBA, B6CBA, A/sn, NZB and NMRI) were continuously exposed to 150 ppm trichloroethylene (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. We concluded that there are 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.