PCBs have a predominantly neurotoxic effect on dissociated cultures of the nervous system

Although their manufacture and use have been restricted or banned in Europe and the United States since the 1970s, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are still an ubiquitous environmental contaminant whose low-term effects are as yet not completely clear. Clinical case studies of patients with occupational exposure report cognitive impairment and peripheral neuropathy. In our defined nerve cell culture models in which we use pure neurons, pure glia and mixed cultures prepared from dorsal root ganglia of chick embryos we observed a neurotoxic effect after the application of a PCB compound (Clophen). It was only at higher concentrations that an additional gliatoxic effect could be observed.