The Autosow raised miniature swine as a model for assessing the effects of dietary soy trypsin inhibitor.

Toxicological effects of dietary soy trypsin inhibitor (TI) were assessed in male miniature swine, a model chosen for its similarities to human digestive physiology and anatomy. The TI preparation was extracted from defatted raw soy flour. From 1 through 5 weeks of age, piglets were automatically fed either a TI liquid diet [Autosow TI group (ASTI)] or a control liquid diet [Autosow control group (ASC)]. From 6 to 39 weeks of age, these animals received either swine chow and TI or swine chow and control article. The TI diets were formulated to contain a TI activity of approximately 500 mg TI/100 g dry matter. A sow control (SC) group suckled from birth to 6 weeks of age and then fed as the ASC group with swine chow plus control article from 6 to 39 weeks of age. The SC piglets grew faster than ASC piglets during postnatal weeks 1 and 2; however, the ASC piglets were significantly heavier than the SC piglets (P=0.001) at 6 weeks of age. Compared with the ASC group, TI caused a moderate decrease in feed consumption and a moderate but reversible decrease in growth from 2 to 5 weeks of age, but not thereafter. Some control and TI-fed Autosow-reared piglets had loose stools until 6 weeks of age; the effect was significantly greater in the TI-fed group. Otherwise, all swine were active and had normal appearance and behavior.

Pesticide residues in composited milk collected through the U.S. Pasteurized Milk Network.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has implemented a comprehensive monitoring program to determine the incidence and levels of organohalogen pesticide residues in milk representing most of the U.S. supply consumed in metropolitan areas. Residue findings for 806 composite milks collected through the Pasteurized Milk Program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1990-1991 are reported. Milk was collected on a monthly basis from 63 stations selected by EPA for radionuclide monitoring. These stations provide an estimated 80% of the milk delivered to U.S. population centers. At each station, milk from selected sources had been composited to represent the milk routinely consumed in its metropolitan area. Portions of these composites were forwarded to an FDA contract laboratory for pesticide residue analysis. Pesticide residues were found in 398 (49.4%) of 806 test samples, on the basis of a 0.0005 ppm limit of detection for each residue on a whole-product basis. A total of 455 occurrences of pesticide residues were found; p,p'-DDE and dieldrin accounted for 384 (84.4%) of these occurrences. The highest level was 0.019 ppm p,p'-DDE.

Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and pesticides in bluefish before and after cooking.

Similar levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, and fat were found in 20 correlated uncooked and cooked (baked) bluefish fillets. Fillets averaged 2.5 ppm PCBs as Aroclor 1254 (whole basis) before cooking; after cooking, with the oil drippings and skin discarded, the average PCB level was 2.7 ppm. Although PCBs, lipophilic pesticides, and fat were lost along with oil drippings and skin that were discarded after cooking, the moisture loss in the fillets during cooking compensated for these weight losses almost completely. After the fillets were cooked and the oil drippings and skin were discarded, the PCB content of the fillets was 27% lower on the average.

Induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity in cell cultures by aroclors, residues from yusho oil samples, and polychlorinated biphenyl residues from fish samples.

Four Aroclor reference materials, cleaned-up extracts of 2 yusho rice oil samples, and cleaned-up extracts of 3 fish samples containing polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) residues were tested for their ability to induce aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity in a rat hepatoma cell line. Before the AHH bioassay, the samples were fractionated by a Florisil column chromatographic method. All samples contained about 1000 micrograms PCBs before Florisil column chromatography. The first Florisil eluate contains about 95% of the PCBs in a typical Aroclor, and the second contains the more polar or adsorbent PCB congeners. In this study, the first eluate for all samples produced no quantifiable AHH activity. The second Florisil eluates of both Aroclors 1242 and 1248 induced AHH activity, whereas these eluates of both Aroclors 1254 and 1260 did not. This difference may be due to the presence in Aroclors 1242 and 1248 of 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl, which has not been detected in Aroclors 1254 and 1260. The second Florisil eluates of the fish samples induced somewhat less AHH activity than did Aroclor 1242 or 1248. The second Florisil eluates of the PCB residues from yusho rice oil samples induced significantly greater AHH activity than these eluates of either Aroclor 1242 or 1248, perhaps because yusho rice oil contains a greater amount of polychlorinated dibenzofurans than PCB commercial mixtures on a PCB equivalent basis.

Removing the interference of DDT and its analogs in the analysis for residues of polychlorinated biphenyls.

A micro scale procedure is described for quantitatively separating polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from DDT and its analogs. DDT and TDE are initially dehydrochlorinated with ethanolic KOH to their respective olefins, DDE and TDE-olefin (1-chloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl) ethylene). The olefins are than oxidized by CrO3 in acetic acid to the more polar dichlorobenzophenone. PCB's are eluted from a micro Florisil column with petroleum ether. Typical recoveries in the ppm range (based on a 5 g sample) were is greater than 80% for Aroclors 1254 and 1260. Recoveries generally were poorer with Aroclors of lower chlorine content and decreased with decreasing quantity of Aroclor present. The DDT group was not quantitatively determined; recoveries averaged is greater than 60% for the DDT group in the ppm range (based on a 5 g sample). The procedure was successfully applied to samples of Lake Michigan chubs containing residues of PCB's and the DDT group and to extracts of human serum fortified with Aroclors and the DDT group.