EXPOSURE OF RABBITS TO 50 PPM CARBONYL SULFIDE - BIOCHEMICAL AND HISTOMORPHOLOGICAL STUDY

Continuous exposure of rabbits to approximately 50 ppm carbonyl sulfide (COS) for 7 weeks slightly elevated the mean serum cholesterol concentration. The mean serum triglyceride concentration was largely unaffected during exposure, although a trend to increase was observed. There was a small increase in the concentration of free cholesterol in aorta most likely caused by the difference in serum cholesterol concentrations between experimental and control animals. Accordingly, no significant difference in arterial uptake of labelled cholesterol between exposed animals and controls could be demonstrated. By light microscopic investigation, no histopathological changes in lungs or atherosclerosis-like intimal changes in coronary arteries, aorta, or pulmonary arteries were found. © 1979 Springer-Verlag.