THE NEUROTOXICITY OF ALPHA-CHLOROHYDRIN IN RATS AND MICE .2. LESION TOPOGRAPHY AND FACTORS IN SELECTIVE VULNERABILITY IN ACUTE ENERGY DEPRIVATION SYNDROMES

Mice and rats have been found almost equally susceptible to (R, S)-alp ha-chlorohydrin neurotoxicity, but in rats the distribution of lesions in the neuraxis is less widespread. The topography of the brain lesio ns shows an incomplete relationship to the regional hierarchy of local glucose utilization in rats and local cerebral blood flow in mice, su ggesting that other, unknown, factors also play roles in determining t his. Evidence suggesting progressive tonotopic selective vulnerability was found in inferior colliculi in rats given live doses of 50 mg/kg/ day. Distinct differences in the patterns of damage to brain stem cent res found with chlorohydrin by comparison with other acute energy depr ivation syndromes, despite the proximity of the metabolic lesions alon g the energy generation pathway, suggests there are other unrecognized factors that play a role in determining whether a neuronal centre is at risk or not.