The organic solvent tetrachloroethylene (Per) is proposed to be a human neurotoxicant. In order to evaluate whether the sensory system is affected by Per at low concentrations, two groups of male volunteers were exposed in an inhalation chamber to 10 and 50 ppm Per, respectively. During the inhalation exposure, which lasted for 4 h per day on four consecutive days, visually evoked potentials (VEPs) and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) were measured. In addition, in some of these volunteers, the visual contrast sensitivity was determined psychophysically. In the group exposed to 50 ppm Per, the VEP peak latencies N75, P100 and N150 increased in the course of the inhalation period. A comparison of the two groups revealed statistically significant differences of these latency changes during Per exposure. In contrast, the BAEPs of the two groups did not differ significantly during the whole exposure period. The contrast sensitivity functions showed a tendency of increased threshold contrasts at low and intermediate spatial frequencies during exposure to 50 ppm Per. The results indicate visual system dysfunctions in terms of delayed neuronal processing time and altered contrast perception due to acute Per exposure.
Deux groupes d'hommes volontaires ont Ct C soumis respectivement I M et& l0ppm (groupe contr6le) de perchlordthylbne (Per) quatre heures par jour pendant quatre joun con-tifs. La plus forte de ces deux concentrations correspond I la valeur MAK courante du Per en RFA. Une version allemande de la batterie NES a t t t administrte quotidiennement au dtbut et A la fin de chaque session exptrimentale; on a prCvu un essai minimal de prkexposition avant le premier test exptrimental. En outre, on a enregistr6 des potentiels tvoquts visuels (VEP) et auditifs. Les VEP ont CtC obtenus grace A differents stimuli en damier. L'analyse de covariance, avec I'exploitation des donntes minimales de prCexposition, a mis en evidence des dtficits significatifs pour la vigilance et la coordination do-motrice, ainsi qu'une prolongation limite du temps de rtaction simple Ion de I'exposition I la concentration ClevCe de Per (par rapport aux conditions contrdle). La cornparaison des deux groupes a rCvtlt une augmentation significative des latencies N75, PlOO et N150 de la pointe VEP pendant I'exposition au taux de 5Oppm de Per par opposition aux valeun minimales, tandis qu'elles tendaient I baisser dans le groupe contr6le. On conclut que le "niveau d'effet non nocif" des signcs aigus de dtpression CNS est endessous de la valeur MAK courante du Per.Two groups of male volunteers were exposed to 50ppm and lOppm (controls) perchloroethylene (Per), respectively, for four Wday on four consecutive days. The higher of the two concentrations corresponds to the current MAK Requests for reprints should be addressed to
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