Characteristics of haloethylene-induced acetonemia in rats.

A series of halogenated ethylenes (vinyl chloride, vinylidene fluoride, cis- and trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, perchloroethylene) induces increased acetone exhalation in rats. Exposures of differently pre-treated rats to vinylidene fluoride suggest that a metabolite of the haloethylene must be envolved in eliciting this formation of acetone. This conclusion is based on (a)dependence of acetone exhalation on the concentration of vinylidene fluoride, (b)effect of inducing agents, (c)effect of pyrazol, a metabolic inhibitor, (d)effect of cysteine, (e)effect of hypoxia and (f)the time course of acetone exhalation.