Biomaterial Database

A comparative study on the neurotoxicity of n-pentane, n-hexane, and n-heptane in the rat. 1980

Y Takeuchi, and Y Ono, and N Hisanaga, and J Kitoh, and Y Sugiura

The neurotoxicity of n-pentane, n-hexane, and n-heptane have been studied in Wistar strain male rats after exposure to 3000 ppm of n-pentane, n-hexane, or n-heptane for 12 hours a day for 16 weeks. The nerve conduction velocity and the distal latency were measured before the beginning of the exposure and after exposure for four, eight, 12, and 16 weeks. The experiment showed that n-hexane disturbed the conduction velocity of the motor nerve and the mixed nerve and prolonged the distal latency in the rat's tail, but that n-pentane and n-heptane did not. The light and electron microscopic examination showed that the peripheral nerve, the neuromuscular junction, and the muscle fibre of the rats exposed to n-hexane were severely impaired, but those of the rats exposed to n-pentane or n-heptane showed no particular changes even after 16 weeks of exposure. These results show that n-hexane is far more toxic to the peripheral nerve of the rat than n-pentane or n-heptane. It is necessary to study the neurotoxicity of other petroleum hydrocarbons, since some reports suggest that petroleum solvents might possibly contain neurotoxic hydrocarbons other than n-hexane.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D009132	Muscles	Contractile tissue that produces movement in animals.	Muscle Tissue,Muscle,Muscle Tissues,Tissue, Muscle,Tissues, Muscle
D009422	Nervous System Diseases	Diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. This includes disorders of the brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, nerve roots, autonomic nervous system, neuromuscular junction, and muscle.	Neurologic Disorders,Nervous System Disorders,Neurological Disorders,Disease, Nervous System,Diseases, Nervous System,Disorder, Nervous System,Disorder, Neurologic,Disorder, Neurological,Disorders, Nervous System,Disorders, Neurologic,Disorders, Neurological,Nervous System Disease,Nervous System Disorder,Neurologic Disorder,Neurological Disorder
D009431	Neural Conduction	The propagation of the NERVE IMPULSE along the nerve away from the site of an excitation stimulus.	Nerve Conduction,Conduction, Nerve,Conduction, Neural,Conductions, Nerve,Conductions, Neural,Nerve Conductions,Neural Conductions
D009469	Neuromuscular Junction	The synapse between a neuron and a muscle.	Myoneural Junction,Nerve-Muscle Preparation,Junction, Myoneural,Junction, Neuromuscular,Junctions, Myoneural,Junctions, Neuromuscular,Myoneural Junctions,Nerve Muscle Preparation,Nerve-Muscle Preparations,Neuromuscular Junctions,Preparation, Nerve-Muscle,Preparations, Nerve-Muscle
D010420	Pentanes	Five-carbon saturated hydrocarbon group of the methane series. Include isomers and derivatives.	Isopentanes
D010525	Peripheral Nerves	The nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord, including the autonomic, cranial, and spinal nerves. Peripheral nerves contain non-neuronal cells and connective tissue as well as axons. The connective tissue layers include, from the outside to the inside, the epineurium, the perineurium, and the endoneurium.	Endoneurium,Epineurium,Perineurium,Endoneuriums,Epineuriums,Nerve, Peripheral,Nerves, Peripheral,Perineuriums,Peripheral Nerve
D006536	Heptanes	Seven-carbon alkanes with the formula C7H16.	Heptane,Isoheptane,Isoheptanes
D006586	Hexanes	Six-carbon saturated hydrocarbon group of the methane series. Include isomers and derivatives. Various polyneuropathies are caused by hexane poisoning.	Hexane,Isohexane,Isohexanes