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Effects of toluene inhalation on fixed‐ratio liquid‐reinforced behavior in rats
Author(s) -
Ghosh Tushar K.,
Pradhan S. N.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
drug development research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.582
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1098-2299
pISSN - 0272-4391
DOI - 10.1002/ddr.430110207
Subject(s) - toluene , inhalation , reinforcement , chemistry , inhalation exposure , anesthesia , materials science , medicine , organic chemistry , composite material
The effect of toluene inhalation was studied on an operant behavior maintained by a fixed‐ratio (FR‐24) schedule of liquid reinforcement in rats. A dynamic (flow‐through) inhalational behavioral chamber was used to expose rats to toluene vapor. Rats were exposed successively to three graded concentrations (105, 214, 382 ppm) of toluene vapor each for 2 hr in range‐finding experiments during 6 1/4‐hr sessions. The reinforcement rate was not altered at hours 1 and 2 but was decreased at hours 3 and 5 of exposure. However, at hours 4 and 6 the reinforcement rate showed recovery from depression. In 2‐hr exposure experiments with four different concentrations of toluene on separate days, the reinforcement rate was decreased at hour 1 during exposure to 142, 211, and 496 ppm, but exposure to 121 ppm had no effect. There was also no effect when rats were exposed to 115 ppm of toluene during a 5‐hr session. The experiment with 2‐hr daily exposures to 212 ppm of toluene for 5 consecutive days indicated the development of tolerance to the decreased reinforcement rate during 4th and 5th days of exposure. This study thus shows a minimum effective concentration of 142 ppm of toluene, which would produce no effect on FR liquid‐reinforced behavior, and indicates that tolerance develops to the behavioral effect of toluene.