US EPA

4678870 

Technical Report 

Production of Reactive Oxygen Species by Polyhalogenated Cyclic Hydrocarbons (PCH) 

Stohs, SJ 

1992 

Stohs, SJ 

NTIS/02988918 

GRA and I 

e 2 

The results of this research strongly support the hypothesis that polyhalogenated cyclic hydrocarbons (PCH) induce production of reactive oxygen species which may contribute to many of the toxic manifestations associated with these xenobiotics. A non-invasive method for assessing lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress has been developed. This method involves the simultaneous determination of the peroxidative lipid-urinary metabolites formaldehyde, malondialdehyde, acetaldehyde and acetone by HPLC. The investigators demonstrated that PCH can induce the formation of reactive oxygen species both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, PCH as endrin and lindane can induce formation of reactive oxygen species directly, and may not involve an indirect, hormonal or messenger system. These PCH can induce formation of reactive oxygen species in peritoneal macrophages, mitochondria and microsomes. Thus, multiple sources of reactive oxygen species exist in response to PCH. Antioxidants can inhibit the formation of reactive oxygen species. A relationship appears to exist between the ability to induce reactive oxygen species and the formation of oxidative tissue damage including lipid peroxidation, DNA single strand breaks, and decreased membrane fluidity. In addition, PCH induce altered calcium and iron homeostasis.