SCHEDULE-CONTROLLED OPERANT BEHAVIOR OF RATS FOLLOWING ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF PERCHLOROETHYLENE: TIME COURSE AND RELATIONSHIP TO BLOOD AND BRAIN SOLVENT LEVELS

Previous studies have indicated that human exposure to perchloroethylene (PCE) produces subtle behavioral changes and other neurological effects at concentrations at or below the current occupational exposure limit. Since comparable effects in anim als may be reflected by changes in schedule-controlled operant behavior, the ability of orally administered PCE to alter fixed-ratio (FR) responding for a food reward was investigated in m ale SpragueDawley rats. Furthermore, since behavioral effects of solvents are likely to be more closely related to blood or target tissue (i.e., brain) concentrations than administered dose, the relationship between the pharm acokinetic distribution of PCE and its effects on operant responding was also evaluated. Rats trained to lever-press for evaporated milk on an FR-40 reinforcement schedule were gavaged with 160 or 480 mg/kg PCE and im mediately placed in an operant test cage for 90 min. Separate animals gavaged with equivalent doses of PCE were used to determine profiles...