US EPA

94475 

Journal Article 

Brain lipid composition in guinea pigs after intrauterine exposure to perchloroethylene 

Kyrklund, T; Haglid, K 

1991 

1 

Pharmacology & Toxicology
ISSN: 0901-9928
EISSN: 1600-0773 

68 

2 

146-148 

English 

1852720 

10.1111/j.1600-0773.1991.tb02054.x 

The effect of intrauterine exposure to perchloroethylene (127184) on brain lipid composition was studied in guinea-pigs. Pregnant guinea-pigs were exposed to perchloroethylene solvent during the last half of gestation (days 33 to 65). Exposure was continuous at 160 parts per million. Animals were sacrificed on day 65 for analysis of lipid composition in pup brains with emphasis on the fatty-acid composition of ethanolamine-phosphoglyceride. No differences were observed in the gross brain lipid composition of controls and treated animals. There were also no significant differences in development as assessed by cerebroside concentration. The pups from dams exposed to perchloroethylene did have a slightly altered fatty-acid pattern and a decreased stearic-acid level of the ethanolamine-phosphoglyceride fraction. The authors conclude that there appears to be no increased vulnerability to changes in the brain fatty acid pattern during intrauterine exposure of pups to perchloroethylene during the period of rapid brain growth; the small change in fatty acid patterns of pup brains may best be explained by a similar concentration of unchanged perchloroethylene reaching their brains as well as adult brains and by the fact that no difference in their sensitivity towards fatty acid changes was induced by exposure to the solvent.