Cardio-pulmonary effects of inhaled solvents: computer assisted measurement and analysis

Abstract

<p>A computer system was created to assist in the collection and analysis of physiological data. A program, written in BASIC, was written to utilize digitized data collected by a Commodore microcomputer with a commercially available eight-bit analog to digital convertor. The program was capable of sampling and analyzing data for ventilatory parameters, mechanics of respiration, cardiovascular parameters, and gas-exchange. The program allowed rapid calculation and summarization of physiological data collected;The physiological effects of the inhalation of three solvent vapors were measured on anesthetized dogs. The tested solvents were: acetone, ethanol, and toluene. Measurements of respiratory mechanics, pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics, cardiac output, and gas-exchange were taken while exposing the animals to the vaporized solvents;After the exposures, the animals were terminated and lung tissue and alveolar lining material (ALM) were collected. The ALM was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography for the amounts of component phospholipids. The tissues were inspected under light microscopy for evidence of acute damage associated with the solvent exposures;Significant changes in tidal volume, respiratory rate, dynamic lung compliance, and inspiratory resistance were measured in response to exposure to toluene vapors, but not ethanol or acetone. Inhalation of acetone and toluene both caused significant increases in heart rate. Toluene caused a significant decrease in stroke volume. Toluene exposure significantly decreased measured end tidal CO(,2). Ethanol exposure caused a significant increase in physiological dead space. The acetone and toluene exposures caused significant changes in the percentages of phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylglycerol.</p>