title: Sensory-evoked potentials as indices of neurotoxicity in the rat: effect of 4-tert-butyltoluene.
abstract: The use of evoked potentials to measure neurotoxicity was evaluated using 4-tert-butyltoluene (TBT) as a test compound. Male Wistar rats were habituated to the recordings of auditory- and flash-evoked potentials until the combined waveform of the evoked potentials reached a steady state. The rats were then divided into three groups and exposed to 0, 50 and 150 ppm TBT for 6 h, and the auditory- and flash-evoked potentials were measured for up to 288 h after exposure. Event-related potentials specifically associated with the temporal pairing of auditory and visual stimuli were not apparent in the recordings. The peak-to-peak values of selected components, integrated amplitude and power spectra of the waveforms in exposed rats were significantly different from control values for at least 288 h in the group exposed to 150 ppm TBT and for 120 h in the group exposed to 50 ppm TBT. It is concluded that evoked potentials may be used for detection and characterization of minor neurofunctional changes due to low-dose exposure to chemicals.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Occupational Health Denmark, Copenhagen.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Lund
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Simonsen
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D003265:Contingent Negative Variation / Q000502:physiology; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014050:Toluene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D014050:Toluene; C027647:4-tert-butyltoluene