PCB congener 126-induced ultrastructural alterations in the rat liver: a stereological study

Hepatocyte cytoplasmic alterations were morphometrically determined in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats fed PCB congener 126 (3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl) in concentrations of 0.1, 1.0, 10, 100 ppb or corn oil in diets for 13 weeks. A dose-dependent increase (P < 0.05) in the volume fraction of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) and mitochondria was measured in the hepatocytes of the females. However, these cells of the male rats contained a significantly greater baseline volume fraction of SER compared to that in the females. Statistical differences were not detected in the volume fractions of rough endoplasmic reticulum, peroxisomes or lipid droplets of the hepatocytes in either the males or females. We conclude the increase in mitochondrial volume was a necessary cellular adaptation to meet the heightened energy demands by the SER to produce the necessary enzymes to detoxify the PCB. Morphometric analysis rather than a descriptive methodology allowed for a more accurate determination of the liver pathology induced by PCB 126. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.PT: J; CR: AHLBORG UG, 1994, CHEMOSPHERE, V28, P1049 BANDIERA S, 1982, CHEM-BIOL INTERACT, V39, P259 CHU I, 1994, FUND APPL TOXICOL, V22, P457 CLARKE DW, 1984, CAN J PHYSIOL PHARM, V62, P1253 DEVITO MJ, 1993, FUND APPL TOXICOL, V20, P125 GHADIALLY FN, 1988, ULTRASTRUCT PATHOL, V2, P767 GILLETTE DM, 1987, FUND APPL TOXICOL, V8, P4 GILROY C, 1998, TOXICOLOGY, V127, P179 HANSELL MM, 1974, TOXICOL APPL PHARM, V28, P418 HARRIS C, 1984, ARCH ENVIRON CON TOX, V13, P715 HONG CS, 1992, ECOTOX ENVIRON SAFE, V23, P118 KANNAN N, 1989, ARCH ENVIRON CON TOX, V18, P850 KASZA L, 1978, J ENVIRON PATHOL TOX, V1, P241 KIMBROUGH RD, 1972, ARCH ENVIRON HEALTH, V25, P354 LEECE B, 1985, J TOXICOL ENV HEALTH, V16, P379 LIN FS, 1979, ARCH ENV CONTAM TOXI, V88, P321 MACLELLAN K, 1994, HISTOL HISTOPATHOL, V9, P453 MACLELLAN K, 1994, HISTOL HISTOPATHOL, V9, P461 MACLELLAN K, 1994, J SUBMICR CYTOL PATH, V26, P279 MARTUCCI CP, 1993, PHARMACOL THERAPEUT, V57, P237 OKEY AB, 1990, PHARMACOL THERAPEUT, V45, P241 PARKINSON A, 1980, CHEM-BIOL INTERACT, V30, P217 PATTERSON DG, 1994, ENVIRON HEALTH PERSP, V102, P195 PENG J, 1997, TOXICOLOGY, V120, P171 POLAND A, 1977, MOL PHARMACOL, V13, P924 SAFE S, 1990, CRIT REV TOXICOL, V21, P51 SAFE SH, 1994, CRIT REV TOXICOL, V24, P87 SATO T, 1968, J ELECTRON MICROSC, V17, P158 SCHECTER A, 1984, BANBURY REPORT, V18, P177 SHAPIRO BH, 1995, INT J BIOCHEM CELL B, V27, P9 SINGH A, 1981, PATHOLOGY, V13, P487 SINGH A, 1996, ULTRASTRUCT PATHOL, V20, P275 SINGH A, 1997, ULTRASTRUCT PATHOL, V21, P143 SMITH LM, 1990, CHEMOSPHERE, V21, P1063 TANABE S, 1987, ENVIRON POLLUT, V47, P147 TEHSEEN WM, 1992, B ENVIRON CONTAM TOX, V48, P101 VANBIRGELEN APJM, 1994, TOXICOL APPL PHARM, V127, P209 VOS JG, 1972, TOXICOL APPL PHARM, V23, P563 WASSERMANN D, 1979, TOXICOL EUR RES, V1, P159 WEIBEL ER, 1969, J CELL BIOL, V42, P68 WEISS L, 1988, CELL TISSUE BIOL TXB, P1; NR: 41; TC: 4; J9: TOXICOLOGY; PG: 9; GA: 240XASource type: Electronic(1