Do propylene glycol ethers pose a toxicity risk to the nervous system?

In their latest publication in the Journal of Toxicology, Sophie Werner and her colleagues from the Cell Biology and In Vitro Toxicology group at the FHNW School of Life Sciences investigated the hepatic and extrahepatic metabolism of commonly used solvents called propylene glycol ethers (PGEs) that may be toxic to the central nervous system.

Using in vitro methods in a collaborative project funded by the Swiss Center for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT), Sophie demonstrated that the liver, but also the blood-brain barrier, can generate potentially toxic metabolites.

Highlights of the publication

• We generated hepatic clearance data for glycol ethers to refine toxicokinetic models.
• Glycol ethers and their metabolites highly permeate through the BBB in vitro.
• Brain (capillary and parenchymal) cells actively metabolized glycol ethers in vitro.