Hepatic content of free sulfhydryl compounds in animals exposed to vinyl acetate.

The content of free non-protein thiols (-SH) was investigated in the livers of guinea pigs, rats and mice after intraperitoneal injection of vinyl acetate (VA). A rapid change of the hepatic -SH level was found in guinea pigs after injection of 500 mg/kg VA. This resulted in a 50% decrease in -SH content. In mice the decrease was slower and amounted to only 23% four hours after injection of 300 mg/kg VA. Rats responded to a single dose of 450 mg/kg VA with only a 10% reduction of the -SH content of the liver. An approximately 20% decrease was observed after chronic intermittent exposure (5 h d-1 for 6 months) to 10, 100 or 500 mg/m3 VA.