Venous blood levels of inhaled trichloroethylene in female rats and changes induced by interacting agents.

The concentration from inhalation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in venous blood from female rats was studied. Exposure consisted of 200, 400 and 500 ppm for 6 hrs, or 50 and 100 ppm for 2 hrs. In each experiment, 1 rat was exposed at a constant concentration of TCE. Blood samples were obtained from an indwelling jugular cannula throughout the experiment. Combination effects with chloral hydrate (0.2 g/kg), ethanol (0.8 ml/kg), isopropanol (0.8 ml/kg), pyrazole (0.2 g/kg), tetraethylthiuram disulfide (TETD; 0.2 g/kg) or tetrachloroethylene (TTCE; 1 g/kg) given orally were observed. The experimental data on the uptake of TCE in blood were fitted, by use of nonlinear regression analysis, to a simple toxicokinetic model. TETD caused the greatest increase in the steady state concentration of TCE (3.7 X), compared to TCE alone at 200 ppm. Isopropanol, pyrazole and TTCE also produced pronounced effects, but chloral hydrate treatment resulted in no significant change. At 50 and 100 ppm TCE exposure for 2 hrs, a significant increase (almost 3 X) in the steady state concentration of TCE from both ethanol and isopropanol was observed.