Abstract
Male albino rats were administered styrene in groundnut oil, PO at doses of 100 mg and 200 mg/kg body weight daily for 14 consecutive days. No neurological deficit was observed in any animal during the course of the experiment. Mean % avoidance response (learning) for each treated group, from day 1 to day 4 of conditioned avoidance response training, revealed a general increase. Styrene significantly increased the % avoidance response at both doses as compared to controls, although no definite dose-response relationship was evident. No significant difference was noted in the spontaneous locomotor activity and regional brain catecholamine levels, between controls and treated rats of either dose. Serotonin levels in hippocampus, hypothalamus, and mid-brain were significantly raised at the higher dose of styrene. Therefore, elevated serotonin levels in these brain regions may account for styrene-induced learning.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Axelson O, Frobari G, Wedefelt U (1974) Can styrene exposure cause states with cerebral lesion. Lakartidningen 71: 137–138
Cherry N, Waldron HA, Wells GG, Wilkinson RT, Wilson HK, Jones S (1980) An investigation of the acute behavioral effects of styrene on factory workers. Br J Ind Med 37: 234–240
Chmielwski J, Mikulski P, Uselis J, Wiglusz R (1973) Rating of the exposure to styrene of persons working at the production of polyester laminates. Biul Inst Med Morskeg Gdansku 24: 203–209
Curzon G (1972) Brain amine metabolism in some neurological and psychiatric disorders. In: Cumings JN (ed) Biochemical aspects of nervous diseases. Plenum, London, p 151
DeWied D (1973) The role of the posterior pituitary and its peptides on the maintenance of conditioned avoidance behavior. In: Lissak K (ed) Hormones and brain function. Plenum, New York, pp 391–397
Glowinski J, Iverson L (1966) Regional studies of catecholamines in the rat brain. I. The deposition of 3H-norepinephrine, 3H-dopamine and 3H-dopa in various regions of the brain. J Neurochem 13: 655–669
Gotell P, Axelsson O, Lindelof B (1972) Field studies on human styrene exposure. Work Environ Health 9: 76–83
Husain R, Srivastava SP, Mushtaq M, Seth PK (1980) Effect of styrene on levels of serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine and activity of acetylholinesterase and monoamine oxidase in rat brain. Toxicol Lett 7: 47–50
IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) (1979) Monographs on the Evaluation of the carcinogenic risk of chemicals to humans, vol 19, IARC, Lyon, pp 187–212
Jacobwitz DM, Richardson JS (1978) Method for the rapid determination of norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin in the same brain region. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 8: 515–519
Klimkova-Deutschova E (1962) Neurological findings in plastic industry among styrene workers. Arch Gewerbepath Gewerbehyg 19: 35–50
Lilis R, Lorimer WV, Diamonds S, Selikoff LJ (1978) Neurotoxicity of styrene in production and polymerization workers. Environ Res 15: 133–138
Lloyd KG, Hornykiewicz O (1975) Catecholamines in regulation of motor function. In: Friedhoff AJ (ed) Catecholamines and behavior 1 Plenum, New York, pp 41–54
Miller RG (1966) Simultaneous statistical inference. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp 90–94
Savolainen H, Pfaffli P (1977) Effect of chronic styrene inhalation on rat brain protein metabolism. Acta Neuropathol 40: 237–241
Savolainen H, Helojoki M, Tengen-Junnila M (1980) Behavioral and glial cell effects of inhalation exposure to styrene vapour with special reference to interactions of simultaneous ethanol intake. Acta Pharmacol Toxicol 46: 51–56
Singhal RL, Merali L (1979) Biochemical toxicity of cadmium. In: Mennar JH (Ed) Cadmium Toxicity Dekker, New York p. 61
Spasovski M (1976) Health hazards in the production and processing of some fibres, resins, and plastics. Bulgarian Environ Health Perspect 17: 199–202
Winer BJ (1962) Statistical principles in experimental research. McGraw-Hill, New York
Wink A (1972) Effect of long term exposure to toxic substances on urinary excretion of 17-oxogenic steroids and 17-oxosteroids. Ann Occup Hyg 15: 211–215
Withey JR, Collins RG (1978) Styrene monomer in foods. A limited Canadian survey. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 19: 86–94
Wolff MS, Lilis R, Lorimer WV, Selikoff IJ (1978) Biological indicators of exposure in styrene polymerization workers, Styrene in blood and adipose tissues and mandelic acid, phenylglyoxalic acids in urine. Scand J Work Environ Health (Suppl 12) 4: 114–118
Zaprianov Z, Bainova A (1979) Changes in monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity after styrene and ethanol combined treatment of rats. Activ Nerve Sup (Praha) 21: 262–264
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Husain, R., Srivastava, S.P. & Seth, P.K. Some behavioral effects of early styrene intoxication in experimental animals. Arch Toxicol 57, 53–55 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00286575
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00286575