US EPA

1007323 

Journal Article 

Transplacental and mammary absorption of hexachlorobenzene: experimental pembe yara porphyria in neonates 

Cripps, DJ 

1990 

1 

Molecular Aspects of Medicine
ISSN: 0098-2997
EISSN: 1872-9452 

Dart/ter/91000054 

11 

1-2 

81-82 

English 

During 1956-1961 in Southeast Turkey, it was estimated that more than 1000 breastfed children of mothers porphyric from hexachlorobenzene (HCB) died with convulsions, tremors, progressive weakness and a localized erythema (phototoxic). To test the hypothesis that toxicity may be due to HCB from transplacental and breastfeeding absorption, female rats 8-12 weeks old were fed during gestation with 2000 or 400 ppm HCB and offspring were sacrificed by C-section after 2, 4 and 8 weeks. HCB levels in tissue were determined by Nickel 63 electron gas chromatography (Chromatography 117:243 1976) and urine, stool and tissue porphyrins as described (Arch. Derm. 93:129 1966). Tissue levels of HCB in litters at C-section or delivery were approximately 50% that of the mothers, but levels increased during suckling. Examples of HCB mean values in mothers fed 2000 ppm at delivery showed that highest concentration occurred in fat (1241 ppm), skin (418 ppm), liver (53.9 ppm) and brain (34.1 ppm). A significant increase in liver porphyrins of mothers and neonates developed after 4 weeks. HCB in neonatal livers at delivery was 27.3 ppm, but became remarkably high (836 ppm) possibly from paucity of fat tissue in contrast to maternal livers (134 ppm) after 5 weeks. HCB in maternal breast fat decreased significantly during suckling, at delivery was 2947 ppm and after 3 weeks was 1091 ppm. The affected litters developed convulsions, tremors and progressive weakness. 

Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Pregnancy; Rats; Animal; Female; Hexachlorobenzene/ PHARMACOKINETIC; Hexachlorobenzene/ TOXICITY; Porphyria/ CHEMICALLY INDUCED; Mammae/ METABOLISM; Fetus/ DRUG EFFECTS