POLYCHLOROBIPHENYLS (PCB) INDUCED FETOPATHY

II. EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES : POSSIBLE PLACENTAL TRANSFER OF POLYCHLOROBIPHENYLS IN RATS

Abstract

Four cases of polychlorobiphenyls (PCB) induced fetopathy were described in the previous paper as the part one of this report. The following experimental studies were performed to confirm the possibility of placental transfer of polychlorobiphenyls in pregnant rats, and to elucidate the pathogenesis of the fetopathy. The incidence of maternal death and the abortion increased in proportion to the amount of chlorbiphenyls administered to the mother rat, and histological changes were observed mainly in the liver and in the kidney of the mother. Although, neither external malformation nor abnormal histological findings were noted in the fetus of the rat, ³H-labeled polychlorobiphenyls administered in mother rats were detected in the placenta, amnion and in the whole body of the fetus. The above experimental studies suggest us that the fetopathy obsered in human could be caused by placental transfer of polychlorobiphenyls.