Dose-dependent toxicity of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether vapour in the rat

Wistar male rats were exposed by inhalation to 50, 100 or 400 ppm of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME) for 1 to 2 weeks. The overall hepatic drug oxidation reactions, O-deethylation of 7-ethoxycoumarin and 7-ethoxyresorufin and cytochrome P-450 content were only slightly affected by the EGME exposures. NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity showed a tendency toward a dose-dependent decrease in liver, the activity being 73% and 64% of that in the controls after one and two weeks of exposure, at 400 ppm respectively. UDP glucuronosyl transferase activity exhibited a dose-dependent enhancement in liver microsomes after exposure for two weeks to EGME. The enhancement was 1.3- 1.7- and 3.0 fold with exposure to 50, 100 and 400 ppm of EGME respectively. After exposure for one week the UDPglucuronosyltransferase activity in kidney microsomes was similarly enhanced. A dose-related increase in measurable UDPglucuronosyltransferase activity was also obtained in Triton X-100 treated hepatic microsomes. GSH levels of the liver and kidneys in EGME treated animals showed a tendency towards a dose-dependent increase. The activities of low-Km and high-Km aldehyde dehydrogenases in liver were decreased 6 - 14% of that in the controls with exposure to 400 ppm of EGME when glycolaldehyde was used as a substrate. Serum alanine aminotransferase activity was not influenced by inhalation exposures to EGME.