3,4,3',4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl-induced effects in the rat liver. I. Serum and hepatic retinoid reduction and...

The distribution of 3,4,3',4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCB), its effects on serum and hepatic retinoid, content and liver morphology were investigated in adult female WAG/Rij rats. Animals received a single intraperitoneal injection of either a corn oil vehicle, 15 or 200 mg TCB/kg body weight and were killed at 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after treatment. One rat of the high-dose group that had received 200 mg TCB/kg containing 1.85 mCi of 3H-TCB was sacrificed at each sampling time. There was a significant increase in liver weight when expressed as a percentage of body weight in the high-dose group at day 3 (122% of controls), day 7 (116% of controls), and day 14 (110% of controls). There was a rapid rise in the amount of 3H-TCB present in the liver that peaked at day 7 followed by a rapid decline in the amount of radiolabelled material by day 14. Greater than 90% of the radiolabelled material in the liver was parent compound. TCB treatment induced a significant decrease in serum retinol content in the high-dose group at day 3 (39% of controls) and day 7 (46% of controls) following exposure. There was a significant decrease in hepatic retinol content in the high-dose group at day 3 (34% of controls), day 7 (25% of controls), and day 14 (42% of controls) following exposure. TCB treatment induced a significant decrease in hepatic retinyl palmitate content in the high-dose group at day 7 (56% of controls) following exposure. Ultrastructural alterations in hepatocytes included the proliferation and vesiculation of endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondrial enlargement with paracrystalline inclusions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)