The influence of aging on intestinal absorption of TCDD in rats

The effects of age on intestinal absorption of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) were studied using adult male Fischer-344 rats of 3 different age groups: 13 weeks old (young), 13 months old (mature), and 26 months old (senescent). Absorption was measured with an in situ intestinal recirculation perfusion procedure. Absorption expressed in terms of ng TCDD absorbed/g intestinal dry weight/h was 166, 149 and 143 ng/g/h in the young, mature and senescent groups, respectively. When absorption was calculated in terms of ng TCDD absorbed/g mucosal dry weight/h, the decrease between the senescent rats and the 2 younger age groups, from 544 ng/g/h (young) to 351 ng/g/h (senescent), was not statistically significant (P less than 0.05). It was demonstrated that absorption of TCDD was unaffected by the presence of 2,4,5,2',4',5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (HCB) in the perfusate, but that HCB absorption was (P less than 0.01) enhanced by the presence of TCDD.