Experimental studies on the disturbance of hematopoietic organs due to benzene intoxication.

In order to ascertain the primary agency of benzene, firstly the peripheral blood pictures and the histological findings in the subacute benzene poisoning, in an experimental comparison with those pictures and findings in the toluene and xylene intoxication were examined. The rats, treated with benzene, showed striking and characteristic changes either in case of peripheral blood pictures arid of the histological findings. It proves that benzene, immediately giving degenerative or destructive changes, directly affected the hematopoietic organs, but the disorders of mitosis in blood cells must be a more significant effect of the benzene poisoning. Next, in a further attempt to ascertain the primary agency of benzene on the blood-forming organs and to clarify the mechaism of benzene poisoning, the bone marrow insufficiency and hemolytic phenomena, were observed when compared with those in case of the toluene and xylene poisoning. As for the disorders of cell-division in benzene affected marrow cells, not only the mitotic inhibition at the stage of metaphase and the chromosomal damage but also the deceleration of the mitotic speed in marrow cells and the inhibition of the mitotic motivation at proand inter-phases are of possible significance. For the more substantial clue to the benzene poisoning, further experimental researches were carried out in the hematological findings, especially, in the mitotic disturbances in the marrow of the benzene-affected rats to which were administered some chemical substances which are possibly preventive of the disturbances. The results suggest that the mitotic disturbances of the marrow cells by the action of benzene or its metabolites largely depends on the inhibition of the nucleoprotein metabolism or the nucleic acid synthesis, and that in the benzene poisoning the so-called radiomimetic actions are probably of high significance.