Influence of maternal ingestion of Aroclor 1254[reg sign] (PCB) or FireMaster BP-6[reg sign] (PBB) on unstimulated and stimulated corticosterone levels in young rats
- Bowling Green State Univ., Bowling Green, OH (United States)
The organohalides polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) remain troublesome environmental pollutants. For example, the percentage of the population in which PCB is detectable in adipose tissue remains high. These compounds are of particular interest to residents of the North Central United States, especially in regions surrounding the Great Lakes where contaminated fish may be a regular component of the diet. Additionally, PBB was mistakenly fed to cattle and chickens in Michigan during the early 1970s, products of which were ingested by humans. Among the physiological effects of ingestion of PCB or PBB is the depression of thyroid status, which has been reported in adult humans, in adult experimental animals, and in the offspring of these animals. In adult rats, circulating levels of thyroid hormones are inversely proportional to dose of PCB or PBB in the diet. On the other hand, reports of effects of these organohalides on adrenocortical function remain equivocal, describing both PCB- and PBB-induced depression, and absence of effect in rats and monkeys. Despite the possible consequences of maternal ingestion of PCB or PBB on future generations, little work has been done previously to determine whether consumption of these materials by pregnant and lactating animals confers hypothyroidism on their offspring, and/or influences other mechanisms of endocrine control in the young. Since early studies showed that hypothyroidism induced by feeding pregnant rats the goitrogen thiouracil altered the functional capabilities in their young of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, as revealed by circulating corticosterone levels, the present study was done to determine whether ingestion of either PCB (Aroclor 1254[reg sign]) or PBB (FireMaster BP-6[reg sign]) by pregnant and lactating rats resulted in depressed thyroid status and/or modified HPA axis function in their 15 day old young. 19 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.
- OSTI ID:
- 6519993
- Journal Information:
- Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (United States), Vol. 48:5; ISSN 0007-4861
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CORTICOSTERONE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
RATS
JUVENILES
LACTATION
PREGNANCY
ADRENAL HORMONES
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CORTICOSTEROIDS
GLUCOCORTICOIDS
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HORMONES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
KETONES
MAMMALS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PREGNANES
RODENTS
STEROID HORMONES
STEROIDS
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology