In 1981, illegal processing of rapeseed oil by a Spanish oil refinery resulted in the
mass foodborne illness epidemic known as Toxic Oil Syndrome (TOS). The toxic oil
associated with this epidemic was sold in neighborhood markets and by itinerant
salesmen as inexpensive olive oil. Ingestion of the toxic oil resulted in more than 20,000
illnesses and over 1,500 deaths in Spain. The etiologic agent of TOS remains unknown.
In addition, animal studies have provided little insight into the mechanisms of toxicity
because no animal model exhibits the symptoms of TOS. Researchers of Eosinophilia-
Myalgia Syndrome (EMS) are in a similar quandary. EMS occurred in the United States
in 1989, and the symptoms of this illness parallel TOS quite closely. The MRL/lpr mouse
model has been suggested as a possible model for immunotoxicity caused by
environmental exposure. Since the symptoms of most chronic phase patients appeared to
be immunologically mediated, the MRL/lpr mouse was chosen as the animal model for
the present experiment. Sixty two mice were used. Groups often mice were gavaged
with three different dose levels of 2% aniline denatured low-erucic acid rapeseed oil
(Canola oil) and mercuric chloride as a positive control. Ten mice were untreated as a
naive control. Two mice were sacrificed upon arrival as a negative control. All mice
treated with toxic oil displayed a decreased rate of weight gain relative to the naive
control. Serum antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were detected using indirect
immunofluorescence, and anti-type IV collagen antibodies (ACA) were detected using an
ELISA technique. The mice receiving toxic oil displayed increased serum ANA titers
relative to the naive control. However, there did not appear to be a relationship between
toxic oil dose and ANA titer. All animals receiving oil displayed decreased serum ACA
titers relative to the naive control. In this case, a direct relationship existed between ACA [p.2 of abstract missing]. / Graduation date: 1999
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/28174 |
| Date | 23 November 1998 |
| Creators | Richards, Carolyn L. K. |
| Contributors | Selivonchick, Daniel P. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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