Effect of Technical Grade DDT and p,p′-DDT on Adrenocortical Function in Chicks

Abstract

DURING the earliest investigations of the general toxic effect of DDT, focal hemorrhage and necroses were found in the adrenocortical tissue of some animal species (Nelson et al., 1944; Cameron and Burgess, 1945; Cameron, 1945). These findings have later gone unconfirmed, but DDD, structural analogue of DDT, has been found to cause selective atrophy of the zones reticularis and fasciculata of adrenal cortex in dogs (Nelson and Woodard, 1949) and to lower the concentration of 17-hydroxy-corticosteroids in their urine (Brown et al., 1955; Cobey et al., 1956; Vilar and Tullner, 1959). The active isomers in this respect are o,p′-DDD (Nichols and Hennigar, 1957; Cueto and Brown, 1958) and o,p′-DDT (Berndt et al., 1967). Identical reactions in the adrenal gland after o,p′-DDD application were found in calves (Weber et al., 1958) and goats (Bell, 1961).Investigations on the adrenocortical effect of these substances in mice, rats and guinea pigs produced variable…