Methylmethacrylate: tissue distribution and pulmonary damage in rats following acute inhalation.

Abstract

Distribution in blood, brain and lungs, and histopathologic changes in brain and lungs of rats following inhalation exposure to methylmethacrylate monomer (MMA) are reported. On exposing groups of four male rats to air containing 100 ppm of MMA, the concentration of MMA in the tissues determined by headspace gas chromatography, was found to be 11.14 +/- 1.05 mg % in blood, 25.24 +/- 2.04 micrograms/g in brain, 20.60 +/- 1.01 micrograms/g in lungs; these did not change significantly with different exposure periods. Interalveolar congestion/hemorrhage, pulmonary vasodilation and edema were observed with rats exposed for 2,3 and 4 hours but not for 1 hour. No histopathologic changes were seen in the brain of any of the exposed rats.