Effects of long-term turpentine inhalation on rat brain protein metabolism.

Chronic exposure of adult male rats to commercial turpentine resulted in an accumulation of the solvent in perinephric fat and brain. The body solvent content remained virtually stable during 8 weeks. Brain RNA content was below the control range initially and it increased to the control level at the 4th week of exposure. Serum non-specific cholinesterase activity was somewhat below the control range at the first and second week of exposure and it returned to the control level thereafter. The present data are in agreement with the small effects of turpentine exposure on human central nervous system in clinical follow-up studies.