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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Effects of polychlorinated biphenyl mixtures and three specific congeners on growth and circulating growth-related hormones.

Authors: Gould, J C; Cooper, K R; Scanes, C G

Published In Gen Comp Endocrinol, (1997 May)

Abstract: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that bioaccumulate in avian species. Exposure to PCBs can result in decreased growth. Thyroid hormones and growth hormone (GH) are important for normal growth. The present studies employed the chicken embryo to investigate effects of Aroclor 1242, Aroclor 1254, 2,2',6,6'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCB), 3,3',4,4'-TCB, and 3,3',5,5'-TCB on growth and growth-related hormones. The following indices were measured: embryo mortality, body weights, bone length, pituitary GH content, and plasma concentrations of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), GH, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Fertile eggs were injected with PCBs on Day 0 and indices determined on Day 17 of incubation. Unexpectedly, 3,3',5,5'-TCB or low-dose Aroclor 1242 treatment increased body weight and bone length (P < 0.05), whereas Aroclor 1242 (high dose), 3,3,4,4'-TCB, or Aroclor 1254 treatment reduced body weights and/or bone length (P < 0.05). Aroclor 1242 or 3,3',4,4'-TCB (low-dose treatment) elevated plasma T4 concentrations (P < 0.05). Both growth and pituitary GH content were increased (P < 0.05) by 3,3',5,5'-TCB (low dose) or Aroclor 1242 treatment. Despite marked differences in growth rates, plasma T3, GH, and IGF-I concentrations were unaffected by PCB treatment. Growth-related hormones may not be responsible for the growth depression observed after PCB treatment. Possibly the decrease in growth occurred because of general toxicity. The importance of chlorine position in causing thyroid hormone axis alterations was not clearly established.

PubMed ID: 9169118 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Animals; Body Weight/drug effects; Bone Development/drug effects; Chick Embryo; Growth Hormone/blood; Growth/drug effects*; Growth/physiology; Hormones/blood*; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/metabolism; Isomerism; Polychlorinated Biphenyls/pharmacology*; Polychlorinated Biphenyls/toxicity; Radioimmunoassay; Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon/metabolism; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.; Thyroxine/blood; Triiodothyronine/blood

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