Metabolism and hepatorenal toxicity due to repeated exposure to styrene in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR)

Groups of adult male rats (5 rats per group), either normotensive (WKY) or spontaneously hypertensive (SHR), were exposed by inhalation to 0, 821, and 3018 ppm styrene, 5 h per day for 3 consecutive days. After the exposure, the urines were collected for 24 h and the animals were then sacrificed. The various biochemical parameters of hepatorenal toxicity due to styrene as well as its urinary metabolites were measured. Hepatotoxicity due to styrene was not further increased at any exposure level due to hypertension. However, repeated exposure of SHR rats to 3018 ppm styrene showed significant increases in the urinary excretion of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, proteins, and volume of urine, compared to WKY treated rats, whereas no such changes were observed due to repeated exposure to 821 ppm styrene. Studies of in vivo metabolism of styrene at higher exposure level showed significant decrease in the urinary excretion of mandelic, phenylglyoxylic, and hippuric acids in SHR rats compared to WKY-treated rats, suggesting an inhibition of deactivation of styrene reactive intermediate involving the epoxide hydrase pathway due to hypertension. At the same time, a significant increase in the urinary excretion of a potential nephrotoxic metabolite of styrene (e.g., mercapturates or thioethers) was observed in SHR-treated rats when compared to WKY-treated rats. These results demonstrate that spontaneous hypertension has the potential to further increase the nephrotoxicity due to repeated exposure to styrene, and the metabolism of styrene plays an important role in modifying such toxicity in the hypertensive state.