Mirex-induced hepatic changes in chickens, Japanese quail, and rats

Mirex was fed in the diet to chickens at 0 to 160 ppm for 12 and 16 weeks, to Japanese quail at 0 to 80 ppm for 12 weeks, and to rats at 0 to 100 ppm for 2 and 4 weeks. Mirex did not affect the concentration of protein or cytochrome P450 in hepatic microsomes of chickens or Japanese quail, nor did it affect hydroxylation of aniline or demethylation of aminopyrine. However, structural changes were apparent in livers of chickens fed mirex at 10 ppm and above and included regions of necrosis and nonspecific cellular aberrations and alterations of sinusoids and bile canaliculi. Mirex caused liver enlargement in rats and increased microsomal protein and cytochrome P450 but did not affect hydroxylation of aniline or demethylation of aminopyrine. Hepatic structural changes in rats that were associated with mirex included proliferation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum and degeneration of some bile canaliculi.