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Combined Actions and Interactions of Chemicals in Mixtures

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7.6.5.5 Condition<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Odour condition<strong>in</strong>g describes the situation where an agent such as a volatile organic<br />

compound with a dist<strong>in</strong>ct odour, experienced at a high concentration, evokes illness.<br />

On subsequent occasions, lower concentrations <strong>of</strong> the agent evoke the feel<strong>in</strong>g, but<br />

with shorter latencies (Weiss, 1998).<br />

Other stimuli may be effective <strong>in</strong> caus<strong>in</strong>g condition<strong>in</strong>g. Possible stimuli <strong>in</strong>clude<br />

respiratory irritants, which may <strong>in</strong>duce a neurogenic response at low sub-irritant<br />

concentrations after an <strong>in</strong>itial condition<strong>in</strong>g episode with a higher irritation-produc<strong>in</strong>g<br />

concentration.<br />

7.6.5.6 Potentiation<br />

A chemical without neurotoxic effect may <strong>in</strong>teract with a neurotoxicant <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>crease<br />

the neurotoxic response/effect <strong>of</strong> the neurotoxicant. Numerous examples <strong>of</strong> ketone<strong>in</strong>duced<br />

enhancement <strong>of</strong> n-hexane- or 2,5-hexanedione-<strong>in</strong>duced neuropathy <strong>in</strong><br />

animals or man have been reported. This means that hexane or hexanedione is more<br />

neurotoxic at the same dose level when a ketone is co-adm<strong>in</strong>istered. Hexane was 5<br />

times more toxic when methyl isobutyl ketone was co-adm<strong>in</strong>istered, us<strong>in</strong>g a<br />

neurotoxicity <strong>in</strong>dex (Abou-Donia, 1992). Hexanedione was twice as toxic when<br />

acetone was co-adm<strong>in</strong>istered, based on a behavioural test (Ladefoged et al., 1994).<br />

Although the mechanism is not fully elucidated, it is generally believed that the<br />

<strong>in</strong>teraction is related to changes <strong>in</strong> metabolism, distribution, or elim<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> the<br />

neurotoxic agent.<br />

A chemical without neurotoxic effect may open the BBB <strong>and</strong> thus give access to the<br />

bra<strong>in</strong> for a number <strong>of</strong> neurotoxicants, which otherwise would have been excluded<br />

from this tissue. Mannitol is a non-neurotoxic substance, which opens the BBB. An<br />

example <strong>of</strong> a chemical, where enhanced neurotoxicity by mannitol-<strong>in</strong>duced BBBopen<strong>in</strong>g<br />

is important, is doxorubic<strong>in</strong>, a cytostatic agent.<br />

7.6.5.7 Promotion<br />

In the field <strong>of</strong> neurotoxicity, the term promotion is used to describe the phenomenon<br />

where adm<strong>in</strong>istration <strong>of</strong> one chemical, which itself is not neurotoxic, enhances the<br />

toxicity <strong>of</strong> another neurotoxicant. The time <strong>in</strong>terval between exposure to promoter <strong>and</strong><br />

to neurotoxicant may be long.<br />

The <strong>in</strong>itial observation <strong>of</strong> promotion was made dur<strong>in</strong>g the study <strong>of</strong> chlorpyrifos<strong>in</strong>duced<br />

polyneuropathy. Sulfonyl halide, which is not neurotoxic by itself, enhanced<br />

the neurotoxic effect <strong>of</strong> chlorpyrifos when adm<strong>in</strong>istered after chlorpyrifos (Lotti,<br />

1997).<br />

Some organophosphates, which do not <strong>in</strong>duce delayed neuropathy, cause a stronger<br />

effect <strong>of</strong> a subsequently adm<strong>in</strong>istered true <strong>in</strong>ducer <strong>of</strong> delayed neuropathy (Lotti,<br />

1992). The mechanism is possibly an <strong>in</strong>teraction by the promoter <strong>in</strong> the “age<strong>in</strong>g”<br />

process <strong>of</strong> neuropathy target esterase, NTE, which is believed to be related to the<br />

<strong>in</strong>duction <strong>of</strong> delayed neuropathy.<br />

Several NTE <strong>in</strong>hibitors, such as certa<strong>in</strong> carbamates, phosph<strong>in</strong>ates, <strong>and</strong> sulfonyl<br />

halides protect the animals from neuropathy when they are adm<strong>in</strong>istered prior to<br />

dos<strong>in</strong>g with neurotoxic organophosphorus esters.<br />

7.6.6 Examples <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>teractions: Agents<br />

7.6.6.1 Organophosphorus <strong>in</strong>secticides<br />

The toxicity <strong>of</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>ed exposure to organophosphorus <strong>in</strong>secticides is generally<br />

considered to be additive. The ILSI (International Life Science Institute) Risk<br />

121

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