Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
2918637 
Technical Report 
A study of in vivo physiological and biochemical alterations in the livers of laboratory rats (Sprague-Dawley) following mirex exposure 
Abston, PA 
1977 
PESTAB/77/2165 
Abstr 
12 Part 1 
PESTAB. Adult male and female rats fed mirex concentrations of 10-200 ppm ad libitum for a period of 1-4 weeks showed significant decreases in hepatic levels of lactic dehydrogenase, malic dehydrogenase, sorbitol dehydrogenase, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, and glutamic pyruvic transaminase relative to control. Decreases in these enzymes were from the soluble fraction of the hepatocyte. Decreases in the hepatic levels of lactic dehydrogenase and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase in mirex-fed rats were apparently due to induction of new enzyme protein. Changes in liver enzyme levels were not related to changes in serum cortisol levels. Mirex exposure resulted in significant increases in liver weights, total liver protein, and total liver lipid but did not alter the liver water content (percent of wet weight), liver lipid concentration, or liver protein concentration. Significant alterations of the size and relative concentrations of free-pool amino acids in the liver and serum were observed following one week of 50 ppm mirex feeding. At the end of three weeks the size of the liver amino acid pool returned to normal in both male and female rats, although the ratios of the concentrations of the amino acids in the pool were significantly different from the control. Changes in liver and serum amino acids indirectly indicated a potential alteration in hepatic gluconeogenesis following mirex feeding. Mirex feeding resulted in a significant decrease in the average time of survival during a subsequent period of starvation for both male and female rat. (Author abstract by permission, abridged. Copies of the thesis are available from University Microfilms, Order No. 77-11,746.)