The combined toxicity of technical grade xylene and ethanol in the rat

1. Inhalation exposure to xylene of technical grade (300 p.p.m. in air, 6 h a day, 5 days a week, up to 18 weeks) enhanced the overall mono-oxygenation reactions (7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase and 2,5-diphenyloxazole hydroxylase( as well as the UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity in rat liver microsomes. 2. The simultaneous ingestion of aqueous 15-20% ethanol as drinking fluid increased the cytochrome P-450 concn. and the mono-oxygenation activity even more than the xylene exposure alone. 3. Xylene-ethanol treatment resulted in additive or less than additive effects on the measured hepatic enzyme activities. 4. Renal ethoxycoumarin deethylase activity was enhanced both by ethanol ingestion and by xylene inhalation, and the response was additive after the combined exposure. 5. Liver histology revealed that even though the xylene exposure alone did not produce detectable liver damage, the xylene-ethanol treatment produced more severe liver damage than did ethanol ingestion alone.