Agonistic sensory effects of airborne chemicals in mixtures: odor, nasal pungency, and eye irritation. 1997

J E Cometto-Muñiz, and W S Cain, and H K Hudnell
Department of Surgery (Otolaryngology), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0957, USA. ecometto@ucsd-edu

Thresholds responses of odor, nasal pungency (irritation), and eye irritation were measured for single chemicals (1-propanol, 1-hexanol, ethyl acetate, heptyl acetate, 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, toluene, ethyl benzene, and propyl benzene) and mixtures of them (two three-component mixtures, two six-component mixtures, and one nine-component mixture). Nasal pungency was measured in subjects lacking a functional sense of smell (i.e., anosmics) to avoid interference from olfaction. Various degrees of stimulus agonism (additive effects) were observed for each of the three sensory channels when testing mixtures. As the number of components and the lipophilicity of such components in the mixtures decreased, so did the degree of agonism. Synergistic stimulus agonism characterized the eye-irritation response for the most complex (the nine-component) and the most lipophilic (one of the six-component) mixtures. Physicochemical properties play a large role in the determination of sensitivity to airborne chemicals, particularly to their ability to evoke irritation. While this has revealed itself previously with respect to single chemicals, it seems to have relevance to mixtures as well.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007509 Irritants Drugs that act locally on cutaneous or mucosal surfaces to produce inflammation; those that cause redness due to hyperemia are rubefacients; those that raise blisters are vesicants and those that penetrate sebaceous glands and cause abscesses are pustulants; tear gases and mustard gases are also irritants. Counterirritant,Counterirritants,Irritant,Pustulant,Pustulants,Rubefacient,Rubefacients,Vesicant,Vesicants
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009296 Nasal Cavity The proximal portion of the respiratory passages on either side of the NASAL SEPTUM. Nasal cavities, extending from the nares to the NASOPHARYNX, are lined with ciliated NASAL MUCOSA. Nasal Cavities,Cavities, Nasal,Cavity, Nasal
D009812 Odorants The volatile portions of chemical substances perceptible by the sense of smell. Odors,Aroma,Fragrance,Scents,Aromas,Fragrances,Odor,Odorant,Scent
D005123 Eye The organ of sight constituting a pair of globular organs made up of a three-layered roughly spherical structure specialized for receiving and responding to light. Eyes
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D012903 Smell The ability to detect scents or odors, such as the function of OLFACTORY RECEPTOR NEURONS. Olfaction,Sense of Smell,Smell Sense

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