Raw data of the main figures.

Novel chemical compounds are continuously being developed for use in various industries and daily life. Workers in these industries assess and avoid chemical hazards based on published information about chemical toxicities. However, avoiding the hazards associated with chemicals with unknown toxicity is difficult. Therefore, understanding the toxicities of chemicals in a high-throughput, multifaceted manner is essential. In this study, I developed a high-throughput method for assessing chemical toxicities through quantitative measurement of behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans. I determined the acute response to 30 organic solvents, including alcohols, cellosolves, ethers, ketones, and acetate esters, which are widely used in industries, with motility as an endpoint. Exposure to 0.5%–6% organic solvents caused a dramatic decrease in locomotion speed. The adverse effects of organic solvents on motility were proportional to the lipid solubility of the chemicals, similar to the positive relationship between the anesthetic effects of volatile organic chemicals and their lipid solubility in organisms, including humans. In addition to their effects on motility, organic solvents affect posture during locomotion in different ways depending on the chemical’s functional group. Solvents with hydroxyl groups, such as alcohols and cellosolves (0.5%–3%), reduced the amplitude of body bending, whereas solvents with ketone groups, such as ketones and acetate esters (0.5%–4%), increased it during undulatory locomotion. In addition, organic solvents caused changes in chemotaxis plasticity based on the association between starvation and chemical signals at concentrations lower than those that affect locomotion. This study describes a high-throughput method for acute chemical toxicity testing and provides new insights into behavioral responses to organic solvents that are toxic to humans and other animals.为满足各类工业及日常应用需求，科研人员持续研发出新型化学化合物。相关行业从业者会依据已公开的化学毒性信息，评估并规避化学品的潜在危害。但对于毒性尚未明确的化学品，规避其关联风险则难度颇高。因此，以高通量、多维度的方式解析化学品毒性至关重要。本研究以秀丽隐杆线虫（Caenorhabditis elegans）的行为表现为定量检测指标，开发了一套高通量化学品毒性评估方法。研究选取了工业领域广泛应用的30种有机溶剂，涵盖醇类、溶纤剂、醚类、酮类及乙酸酯类，以运动能力作为观测终点，测定了线虫对这些溶剂的急性暴露响应。当线虫暴露于0.5%–6%浓度的有机溶剂环境中时，其运动速度出现显著下降。有机溶剂对运动能力的负面影响与化学品的脂溶性呈正相关，这一规律与挥发性有机化合物的麻醉效应及其在包括人类在内的多种生物体中的脂溶性之间的正向关联一致。除影响运动能力外，不同官能团的有机溶剂还会通过差异化路径改变线虫运动时的肢体姿态：含羟基的溶剂（如醇类与溶纤剂，浓度范围0.5%–3%）会降低身体弯曲幅度，而含酮基的溶剂（如酮类与乙酸酯类，浓度范围0.5%–4%）则会在其蠕动运动过程中提升身体弯曲幅度。此外，在低于影响运动能力的浓度条件下，有机溶剂还会基于饥饿状态与化学信号间的关联，改变线虫的趋化可塑性。本研究不仅建立了一套可用于急性化学品毒性测试的高通量方法，还为解析对人类及其他动物具有毒性的有机溶剂所引发的行为响应提供了全新的研究视角。