Effects of simultaneous alcohol and toluene poisoning on the cardiovascular system of rats

A group of rats was fed a control liquid diet while another group was fed a liquid diet containing alcohol up to 36% of the total caloric intake. One-half of both groups was placed in an inhalation chamber supplied with fresh air; the other two half-groups were made to inhale air containing 4000 mg toluene/m³ for 6 hr daily, 5 days a week, for a period of 4 weeks. After exposure the ECG, hematocrit, histological structure of the heart, blood pressure, cardiac output, distribution of the cardiac output to the organs, nutritive blood flow and circulatory resistance of the organs were studied in these groups of animals. The ECG, hematocrit values, and histological and histochemical structure of the heart did not change in any of the groups. Toluene inhalation increased myocardial vascular resistance and reduced cerebral nutritive blood flow. Alcohol ingestion reduced the arterial blood pressure, the cardiac index, and nutritive blood flow to the myocardium, kidney, skin, and carcass, while myocardial and cutaneous vascular resistance as well as the cerebral blood flow fraction increased. It was concluded that the cardiovascular sites of action of toluene and alcohol were not identical.