SPECIFIC NEUROTOXIC EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT ORGANIC-SOLVENTS ON DISSOCIATED CULTURES OF THE NERVOUS-SYSTEM

Pure neurons were prepared from dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of 8 day old chick embryos (E8). The substances tested in this model were pure n-hexane, 2.5-hexanedione (2.5 HD) and methyl-ethyl-ketone (MEK). Differentiated cultures were exposed to these neurotoxins after two days in culture and then examined over a period of up to one week. For all three substances a specific neurotoxic effect could be demonstrated: (i) n-Hexane mainly altered the neurites, leading to focal swellings and in a second step to degenerative changes in glial cells; (ii) 2.5 HD had a minor effect on neurons and proved to be mainly gliatoxic; (iii) MEK primarily affected the neurons by swelling and disintegration of the cell body.