Acute Neurobehavioral Effects of Co-inhalation of Toluene and n-Hexane on Schedule-Controlled Behavior in Rats

Whether coexposure to toluene and n-hexane had any combined effects on the shock avoidance performance in rats was studied. Eighteen Wistar male rats with an avoidance rate of over 80% were selected and divided to three groups based on performance and body weight: (I) toluene, (2) n-hexane, and (3) toluene + n-hexane. Each group was exposed alternately first to air and then to a particular organic solvent for 4 hr at various concentrations (50, 100, 200, 400, or 800 ppm, in ascending order). The effects of each organic solvent were evaluated by comparing the performance of rats during and after exposure with their own performance under the sham exposure to air by three-way ANOVA. The main results were that (1) 200, 400, or 800 ppm toluene exposures increased lever press rates, (2) 50 ppm n-hexane exposure decreased lever press and avoidance rates in a transitory manner and 800 ppm n-hexane exposure increased the lever press rate, (3) the 50 ppm mixture (25 ppm toluene + 25 ppm n-hexane) decreased lever press and avoidance rates persistently during and after the 4-hr exposure and the 800 ppm mixture (400 ppm toluene + 400 ppm n-hexane) decreased lever press and avoidance rates unpredictably when compared to the results of 400 or 800 ppm of toluene or n-hexane alone. In conclusion, n-hexane showed narcotic effects at 800 ppm and modified the acute neurobehavioral effects of toluene in rats at 400 ppm toward unpredictable results.