Behavioral Toxicology of Volatile Organic Solvents. III. Acute and Subacute Effects of Carbon Disulfide Exposure on the Behavior of Mice

Abstract

The effects of exposure to carbon disulfide (CS2) were studied on two different behavioral responses in mice. One response was the interruption of a single light beam passing immediately behind a small hole in the wall of the mouse chamber. The other response was the consecutive interruption of each of three radial light beams spaced around a circular runway. Both responses were maintained under an FI 60-sec schedule of milk presentation. Acute, cumulative concentration-effect functions were determined by increasing, stepwise, the concentration of CS2 in the chamber until responding was abolished. Although the level of physical activity required by the two responses was quite different, the acute effects of CS2 on each were quantitatively similar: a concentration of 120 ppm was without effect, 580 ppm decreased responding in most mice, to as low as 0.55 of control levels, 2200 ppm decreased responding in all mice, and 3700 ppm abolished responding. Recovery from these acute effects was slow; following cumulative exposures which abolished responding, recovery to 0.50 of the control level of responding took more than 4 hr, and full recovery required 6 hr. With repeated daily exposure to CS2, the cumulative effect on both types of responding depended upon the concentration and the duration of the exposure. No effect was seen with either response until the fifth day of exposure to 260 ppm; 580 ppm decreased responding progressively during most daily exposures but the overall decrease was not different on successive days; 840 ppm decreased responding progressively during daily exposures and the decrease was also progressively greater on successive days. Daily control performances before exposure were unaffected during repeated exposure, so the manifest effects of these levels of CS2 did not appear to last as long as 18 hr.