[Liver lipid peroxidation in the ontogeny of rats during perinatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls]

We studied the activity of NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, NADPH- and ascorbate-dependent systems of lipid peroxidation in liver microsomes, the activity of superoxide dismutase in the supernatant and the level of malonic acid dialdehyde in liver tissue of rats of various age. The activity of lipid peroxidation system and the malonic dialdehyde content in the early postnatal period increased to the adult level. The NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase activity increased during the first four months of animals life while that of superoxide dismutase increased until the animals were seven months old. A single administration of polychlorinated diphenyls at a dose of 500 mg/kg (1/10 LD50) to pregnant rats drastically stimulated and changed the pattern of the studied activities in their offspring. The role of lipid peroxidation in modification of microsomal membranes after the monooxygenase system induction by polychlorinated diphenyls in early ontogenesis is discussed.