Trichloroethylene: long-lasting changes in the brain after rehabilitation.

The exposure of adult Mongolian gerbils to 60 or 320 ppm trichloroethylene (TCE) by continuous inhalation during 3 months, followed by a period of 4 months free of exposure, causes biochemical changes in the hippocampus, the posterior part of cerebellar vermis and in the brain stem, compatible with alterations comprising astroglial hypertrophy and/or proliferation. General and experimental neuropathology have been able to raise our knowledge of the glial cells, and a number of distinct tissue syndromes are characterized and pathogenetically determined by changes in the astroglial component of the nervous system. An astroglial reaction, comprising hypertrophy or proliferation, is known to be caused by exogenous and endogenous noxae. Ultrastructural evidences on neuronal cell alterations, such as decreased amounts of microtubules and increased content of lysosomes and myelin bodies, were observed. The biochemical and morphological data presented indicate that TCE is neurotoxic after moderate exposure levels and periods. Some brain areas seem to be more sensitive than others.