NEUROCHEMICAL EFFECTS OF PERORAL ADMINISTRATION OF TECHNICAL PENTACHLOROPHENOL

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 23  (1) , 97-105
Abstract
Administration of technical pentachlorophenol in drinking water (20 mg/l) to male Wistar rats caused significant liver concentration of tetrachlorophenol which remained stable during the exposure of 14 wk. Pentachlorophenol and tetrachlorophenol accumulated to some extent in the perirenal fat, whereas only pentachlorophenol was found in brain. A period of 4 wk of chlorophenol-free diet was sufficiently long to allow removal of the major part of the chlorophenol burden. The neurochemical effects included increased acid proteinase activity at the 8th wk of exposure. It leveled off, while superoxide dismutase activity increased to twice the control level. Glial glutathione peroxidase activity did not change, whereas glial glutathione concentration was below the control range at the 12th wk of exposure. Cerebral diaphorase activity was below the control range initially, and its activity increased above the control level during the recovery period; other biochemical changes leveled off.