Electrophysiologic evidence for a toxic polyneuropathy in rats after exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD).
At present, experimental data on the neurotoxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin are still lacking. Therefore, electrophysiologic studies were performed in 80 adult, male Han/Wistar rats intraperitoneally injected with a single, low dose of TCDD (8.8, 6.6, 4.4 or 2.2 micrograms/kg) dissolved in corn oil. 20 control animals received corn oil only. The typical 'wasting syndrome' of high-dose TCDD-intoxication was therefore not observed. Motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities in the right sciatic nerve showed dose-dependent and statistically significant slowing in TCDD-exposed rats as compared to controls. Spontaneous activity in the flexor digitorum muscle of the right hind paw and in tail muscles could be seen in the electromyogram of TCDD-group 1 (100%), group 2 (93%), groups 3 and 4 (87% each). This was significantly less frequent in the controls (21%). These findings give electrophysiologic evidence for a toxic polyneuropathy in rats after a single, low dose of TCDD.
Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Erlangen, Germany.
F
F
Grahmann
D
D
Claus
H
H
Grehl
B
B
Neundörfer
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004576:Electromyography; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009431:Neural Conduction; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000502:physiology
D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins