title: Effects of acute benzene exposure on brain enkephalin immunostaining and degradation.
abstract: Benzene is a widely used industrial neurotoxin. Its action in the brain is not completely clear. Acute exposure to benzene in vivo reduces aminopeptidase activity in the hypothalamus and in the brain stem, and in vitro treatment with this toxicant generates a dose-related inhibition of this enzyme, notably in the brain stem. Enkephalin immunostaining shows a significant increase in substantia nigra, central gray (dorsal, lateral and pontine), and tegmental nuclei in acute in vivo benzene-treated rats with respect to controls. In summary, this work shows an effect of benzene on the enkephalinergic system, which could be related to the naloxone-reversible analgesia induced by the aromatic hydrocarbon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Medical School, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain. ofavagua@lg.ehu.es
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varona
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Echevarria
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Irazusta
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Casis
mesh_terms: D000626:Aminopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001554:Benzene / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine; D000626:Aminopeptidases; C025579:enkephalin degrading enzyme; D001554:Benzene