Effect of 1-bromopropane inhalation on sciatic nerve of rats

Objective To explore the potential functional and histological effects of 1-bromopropane(1-BP) on sciatic nerve of rats.Methods Forty-eight specific pathogen free male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups including a control group and a low-,a medium-,a high dose groups with 12 rats per group.With the dynamic inhalation method,rats were exposed to 1-Bp vapor at mass concentrations of 0,1 250,2 500 and 5 000 mg/m3,8 hours a day,5 days a week for 4 weeks.One day after the final exposure(the 29th day),each animal was anesthetized with mebumalnatrium and the nerve conduction velocity of sciatic nerves was measured.Three rats in each group were sacrificed and fixed by 4% formaldehyde perfusion.Then sciatic nerves were dissected for pathological examination.Results The exposure groups showed a significant decrease in the bilateral motor nerve conduction velocity of sciatic nerves(P 0.01) while increase in distal motor latency(P 0.05 or P 0.01).However,only the bilateral sensory nerve conduction velocity declined significantly(P 0.05 or P 0.01) and the sensory latency were elongated(P 0.05 or P 0.01) in animals treated with 1-BP at the dose of 5 000 mg/m3.Pathological examination demonstrated that vacuolar degeneration of myelin in sciatic nerves and offset axon were observed under light microscope at high dose group.Conclusion Nerve conduction velocity may serve as a predictor of the early damage to the peripheric nervous system induced by 1-BP.