[Studies on industrial styrene poisoning (Part XIII). Experimental studies on the damage on the mucosal membrane of respiratory tracts of rats exposed to styrene-contemporary observations of the changes in ciliary function and fine structures]

Abstract

Styrene is known to have an irritating effect on the tracheal mucosa, but there are few reports that have demonstrated it histologically. We carried out styrene-exposure experiments on rats, and made observations on morphological changes of the trachea with an electron-microscope. Observations on its functional aspects were also made by estimation of the ciliary movement per minute. The present study has revealed a considerable damaging effect of styrene on the tracheal mucosa, which we presented in this report in the hope that it could be used as an index in settling the maximum permissible concentration of styrene for the future.