Acute and subacute toxicity of octachlorostyrene in the rat.

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This study was designed to investigate the acute and subacute toxicity of octachlorostyrene (OCS), a demonstrated environmental pollutant in fish from the Great Lakes and off the Norwegian coast in Europe. In an acute study, groups of 10 male rats were given by gavage single doses of OCS at 1300, 1690, 2190, 2850, or 3710 mg/kg and killed 14 d later. Octachlorostyrene at a dose of 1690 mg/kg and higher caused increased liver weight, increased hepatic microsomal aniline hydroxylase and aminopyrine demethylase activities, and increased serum cholesterol and uric acid levels. Only mild histological changes were seen in the thyroid of the treated animals. In a subacute study, groups of 10 male and female rats were fed diets containing 0.5, 5.0, 50 or 500 ppm OCS for 28 d. Growth rate and food consumption were not affected by treatment. Liver hypertrophy and hepatic microsomal enzyme induction were observed in animals fed 50 ppm OCS or higher. Elevations in serum cholesterol, total protein, potassium, and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) occurred in rats fed the 500 ppm diet. Histological changes occurred in the liver and thyroid of rats exposed to as low as 5.0 ppm OCS. The OCS residues accumulated in the fat and liver in a dose-dependent manner. These data suggest that OCS can produce biochemical and histological changes in rats after administration of a single oral dose and/or when fed in the diet.