Transfer of hexachlorobenzene and polychlorinated biphenyls to nursing infant rhesus monkeys: enhanced toxicity
Clophen A-30 (CA-30 or PCB) or hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were given daily by gavage to lactating rhesus monkeys for either 30 days (CA-30, 16 mg/kg/day) or 60 days (HCB, 64 mg/kg/day) to three infant-mother pairs per compound. The extent to which the CA-30 or HCB were concentreated in the milk of the mothers and consequently transferred to the nursing infants was determined by measuring concentrations of both substances in milk and serum samples collected at frequent intervals. One mother and all the infants from each group were sacrificed and the tissue content of HCB or PCBs measured. Milk concentrations averaged 20 and 17 times higher than maternal serum levels for CA-300 and HCB-treated monkeys, respectively. Infant serum levels were approximately two to three (PCBs)-or two to five (HCB)-fold higher than serum concentrations in their mothers. All of the HCB-treated mothers remained healthy during dosing but one infant became moribund and was sacrificed on Day 22, and another died on Day 38. One CA-30-treated infant-mother pair was sacrificed on Day 23 of the study when they developed severe symptoms of poisoning. In general tissue levels of both HCB and Ca-30 were higher in the infants than in their mothers. Both HCB and PCB were concentrated in the infant fat, bone marrow, and adrenals. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that nursing infants are at greater risk than their mothers when the mothers are exposed to lipophilic toxins.
- Research Organization:
- Albany Medical College, Holloman, NM
- OSTI ID:
- 5365368
- Journal Information:
- Environ. Res.; (United States), Vol. 21:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Influence of dietary zinc intake on pregnancy outcome in rhesus monkeys
Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in human breast milk from various locations in Tunisia: Levels of contamination, influencing factors, and infant risk assessment
Related Subjects
BIPHENYL
BIOLOGICAL LOCALIZATION
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
NEONATES
POISONING
ADRENAL GLANDS
BLOOD SERUM
BONE MARROW
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
LACTATION
LIPIDS
MILK
MONKEYS
MORTALITY
TABLES
TOXICITY
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
DATA
DATA FORMS
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
FOOD
GLANDS
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HEMATOPOIETIC SYSTEM
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PRIMATES
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES
560305* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)