THE EFFECTS OF MTBE (METHYL TERTIARY BUTYL ETHER) ON MOUSE LUNG

The study of MTBE as one of addetive substance to gasoline composition is important. on the other hand lack of sufficient and precedents from it’s application on organisms we have tried to study the effects of its in two gavage and respiratory methods on lung structure Experiments have done on four mice groups: A: control B: solvent C: gavage D: respiratory groups. In gavage method 0.1 cc of MTBE solution (0.06 cc MTBE+0.04 cc olive oil) was administrated orally for 25 days every day at a dose of 1600 mg/kg of body weight for 25 days. at the respiratory method for the same times 0.4 cc of LC50 (72000 PPM) of MTBE is administrated in respiratory way in every day for 15 minutes. At the end of every period after the dissection and removed of long. The samples are weighted and are prepared for microscopic studies. Macroscopic and Microscopic studies the prepared samples showed that there are some significant abnormalities in treatment mice. The principal abnormalities are: congestion of lung and increase of percentage lung weight to body weight blood capillary development between the alveoli thickness of septa increase of mean of pnemocyte II and decrease of pneumocyte I cells number. Thickness of lung epithelium decrease of alveolar size and alveolar duct width increase of internal diameter and thickness of respiratory bronchiole terminal bronchiole and bronchus walls. The obtained data indicate that the using MTBE in the gavage and respiratory methods produces lung abnormalities in experimental mice.