New Evidences of Neurotoxicity of Aroclor 1254 in Mice Brain: Potential of Coenzyme Q10 in Abating the Detrimental Outcomes

OBJECTIVES: The present subacute study was designed to evaluate the effect of coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ10) in the 28 days aroclor 1254 exposure induced oxidative stress in mice brain. METHODS: Biochemical estimations of brain lipid peroxidation (LPO), reduced glutathione (GSH), and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and acetyl cholinesterase (AChE), and histopathological investigations of brain tissue were carried out. RESULTS: Oral exposure of aroclor 1254 (5 mg/kg) led to significant decrease in levels of GSH, and activities of SOD, CAT, GPx, and AChE, and increase in LPO. These aberrations were restored by CoQ10 (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection [IP]). This protection offered was comparable to that of L-deprenyl (1 mg/kg, IP) which served as a reference standard. CONCLUSIONS: Aroclor 1254 exposure hampers the activities of various antioxidant enzymes and induces oxidative stress in the brains of Swiss albino mice. Supplementation of CoQ10 abrogates these deleterious effects of aroclor 1254. CoQ10 also apparently enhanced acetyl cholinesterase activity which reflects its influence on the cholinergic system.

Ameliorative Effect of Palmiwon on Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB, Aroclor 1254)-Induced Spermiotoxicity in the Rat / 대한남성과학회지

PURPOSE: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, Aroclor 1254), synthetic chlorinated organic compounds, are known to decrease thyroid function, sperm count, and fertility, and increase the risk of testicular cancer; they may have serious effects on male reproduction. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective role of palmiwon on PCB-induced spermiotoxicity in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 90-day-old male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups, each consisting of ten animals. The control group (Group I) received corn oil, the second group of rats (Group II) was administered 2 mg/kg body weight/day of Aroclor 1254+corn oil intraperitoneally for 30 days. The third group of rats (Group III) was treated with 2 mg/kg body weight/day of Aroclor 1254+corn oil intraperitoneally plus palmiwon (300 mg/day) orally for 30 days. Twenty-four hours after the last treatment, the animals were killed by decapitation. Their serum testosterone levels was measured before and after the experimental medication was taken, and the number and motility of sperm, which had been collected from the cauda epididymal region, were evaluated. RESULTS: The results of this experiment show that treatment with palmiwon significantly improved sperm motility and number in rats that had been exposed to PCBs. There was no marked difference in body weight, testis weight, or epididymis weight among the groups. Nor were there any significant pathological differences in the testes among the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Palmiwon has the potential for treating PCB-induced spermiotoxicity. More experiments with larger samples and a longer period of treatment are needed.

Degradation of environmental pollutants by Trametes trogii

The ability of the ligninolytic fungus Trametes trogii to degrade in vitro different xenobiotics (PCBs, PAHs and dyes) was evaluated. Either 200 ppm of a PCB mixture (Aroclor 1150) or 160 ppm of an industrial PAH mixture (10 V/V of PAHs, principal components hexaethylbenzene, naphthalene, 1-methyl naphthalene, acenaphthylene, anthracene, fluorene and phenanthrene), were added to trophophasic and idiophasic cultures growing in a nitrogen limited mineral medium (glucose/asparagine) and in a complex medium (malt extract/glucose). Gas-liquid chromatography proved that within 7 to 12 d more than 90 of the organopollutants added were removed. The decrease in absorbance at 620 nm demonstrated that cultures of this fungus were able to transform 80 of the dye Anthraquinone-blue (added at a concentration of 50 ppm) in 1.5 h. Enzyme estimations indicated high activity of laccase (up to 0.55 U/mL), as well as lower production of manganese-peroxidase. Laccase activity, detected in all the conditions assayed, could be implicated in the degradation of these organopollutants. Considering the results obtained, T. trogii seems promising for detoxification.

Use of a CO2 electrode to monitor fermentations that use xenobiotic compounds as source of carbon

Bacterial strains were isolated from contaminated waters, mud or soils. They are capable of growing in mineral medium with different chemicals as carbon source, such as aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Most of these strains tolerate high concentrations (up to 30 v/v) of the xenobiotic substrates. This is particularly important for the development of fermenting processes to treat effluents or residues with a high content of contaminating compounds. An ion-specific potentiometric electrode (CO2) has been developed to measure CO2 production continuously. When the different strains were incubated in a mineral medium and in the presence of the corresponding substrate, a parallel between growth, substrate consumption and CO2 production was found. The developed system is suggested as an efficient and economical alternative to evaluate the potential of biodegradation by different microorganisms.

Continuous Exposure of Lactating Rat Mothers to Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Increases Testis Volume, Sperm Production and Sertoli Cell Numbers in Adult Male Offspring / 체질인류학회지

Despite the possible consequences of maternal ingestion of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on future generation, information in limited on how/whether maternal PCB exposure affects testis of the adult male offspring. Therefore, we conducted two experiments to investigate the effects of intermittent and continuous of lactating rats to low and high doses of Aroclor 1242 (a PCB congener) on volume density of seminiferous tubules and interstitium, testis volume, sperm production/day and the total number of Sertoli cells per testis in adult male offspring. In experiment I, 3 groups of lactating Sprague Dawley rats received daily subcutaneous injections of 0.1 ml of corn oil, low dose (8microgram) and high dose (80microgram) of Aroclor 1242 in corn oil respectively, from parturition to weaning of pups at 21 days. In experiment II, 3 groups of lactating rats received 2 subcutaneous injections per week of 0.1 ml corn oil, low and high doses of Aroclor respectively, as in experiment I. Pups in all groups were weaned at day 21 and were raised on a normal diet until sacrificed at 90 days to evaluate volume density of seminiferous tubules and interstitium, testis volume, sperm production/day and the total number of Sertoli cells per testis. Volume density of seminiferous tubules and interstitium per testis was determined by point counting method. Testis volume and sperm production/day was measured by routine techniques. The total number of Sertoli cells per testis was determined by morphometry(disector method). In experiment I and II, the volume density of seminiferous tubules and interstitium per testis was equal in control and treated testes. In experiment I (continuous exposure), the testis volume was increased by 14.8% (low dose)~16.5% (high dose), and sperm production/day and Sertoli cell numbers were increased 20.4~25%, and 32.6~39.4%, respectively. In experiment II (intermittent exposure), testis volume, sperm production/day and the total number of Sertoli cells per testis were not significantly different (p>0.05) in PCB-exposed rats (both low and high doses) compared to controls. It is clear that continuous exposure, but not intermittent exposure of male rats to Aroclor during the neonatalprepubertal period causes detrimental effects on the testis in adult male offspring. These results emphasize the susceptibility of the developing testis to environmental factors during the crucial neonatal period.

Organochlorine pollutants level in fish from Mariut lake, Alexandria, Egypt

The residues of twenty-five organochlorine pollutants as well as three aroclors were analyzed by capillary GLC in two Tillipia fish species and Cyprinus carpio collected from Mariut Lake, Alexandria, Egypt. The studied pollutants were DDT's isomers, hexachlorocyclohexane [HCHS] isomers as well as cyclodiene compounds, mirex, methoxychlor, toxaphene and hexachlorobenzene [HCH], aroclors 1248, 1254 and 1260 in addition to nine individual PCBs congeners. Lindane dominated the alphaisomer of HCHS. P,p'-DDE dominated other DDTs analogs in all fish samples with maximum concentration 25.0 ng/g in Cyprinus carpio. Toxaphene was detected in all fish samples with a maximum level of 29.0 ng/g in Cyprinus carpio. Aroclor 1248 dominated other aroclors in all fish samples. For PCBs 153, congener dominated other congeners. The lower chlorinated biphenyls congeners occurred at lower levels except PCB 200 which was not detected

Effect of feeding polychlorinated biphenyl (Aroclor 1260) on hepatic enzymes of rats.

Significant increase in the activity of liver succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) was observed in male Wistar rats, fed Aroclor 1260 (PCB; polychlorinated biphenyl) at 50 and 100 ppm level for 120 days. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity increased in 50 ppm PCB fed animals and decreased in 100 ppm PCB fed rats. On the other hand, enzymes like alanine and aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline and acid phosphatase showed remarkable decrease in activity in PCB fed animals. Slab gel electrophoresis of LDH isozymes showed remarkable increase in LDH2 and LDH3 and to some extent increase in LDH1 isozymes of livers of 50 ppm PCB fed animals but not in 100 ppm PCB fed groups as compared to controls. In both the PCB fed groups, liver showed centrilobular hypertrophy, hepatocellular damage, hyperplasia, karyolysis and karyorrhexis.

Effect of polychlorinated biphenyl (Aroclor 1260) on histology of kidney and thyroid of rats.

Gross histological alteration in kidney and thyroid structures were observed in male Wistar rats fed polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs; Aroclor 1260) at 50 and 100 ppm level in normal commercial diet for 120 days. While the kidney showed glomerulonephritis, degenerative changes in the proximal and distal tubules and increased cellularity of glomeruli, thyroid showed degeneration of follicles, fibrosis of follicles and lymphocytic infiltration followed by thyroiditis.