OBJECTIVETo study the influences of carbon disulfide (CS2) exposure on fatty acid metabolism in apolipoprotein E (ApoE) knockout mice and C57BL/6J mice.

METHODSTwenty-four male ApoE knockout mice were randomly and equally divided into four groups: a CS2-exposed normal diet group, a CS2-unexposed normal diet group, a CS2-exposed high-fat diet group, and a CS2-unexposed high-fat diet group. Twenty-four C57BL/6J male mice were divided into four groups in the same way. The CS2-exposed groups were exposed to CS2 (1 g/m(3)) by static inhalation for 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. After two weeks, the whole blood of mice was collected. Methyl ester derivatization of fatty acids was performed using an acid-catalyzed method. Fatty acid contents before and after exposure were compared by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy.

RESULTSThere were significant differences in fatty acid contents of mice between the four groups. For the C57BL/6J mice, the arachidic acid contents in the CS2-exposed high-fat diet group were significantly lower than those in the CS2-unexposed high-fat diet group (P = 0.045 0). For the ApoE knockout mice, the arachidonic acid contents in the CS2-exposed normal diet group were significantly lower than those in the CS2-unexposed control diet group (P = 0.045 2). For the ApoE knockout mice, the γ-linolenic acid contents in the CS2-exposed high-fat diet group were significantly higher than those in the unexposed high-fat diet group (P = 0.044 7).

CONCLUSIONExposure to CS2 can induce fatty acid metabolism disorder in mice, indicating that CS2 may increase the risk of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases.