HEPATIC AND RENAL NON-PROTEIN SULFHYDRYL CONCENTRATION FOLLOWING TOXIC DOSES OF HEXACHLORO-1,3-BUTADIENE IN THE RAT - THE EFFECT OF AROCLOR-1254, PHENOBARBITONE, OR SKF525A TREATMENT

A single i.p. administration of hexachloro-1,3-butadiene (HCBD) [a perchloroethylene manufacture by-product] to male rats at 300 mg/kg produced a marked increase in liver and kidney water content and organ-to-body wt ratio, over 24 h. In the same animals, total nonprotein SH content (NP-SH) of liver was decreased, the nadir being a 60% reduction at 6 h but renal NP-SH remained unchanged. By 24 h marked necrosis of straight portion of proximal renal tubules was seen. Liver showed slightly fatty changes when examined by light microscopy. Increasing doses of HCBD up to 900 mg/kg i.p. produced a dose-related decrease in liver NP-SH, with no alteration in renal NP-SH. Treatment of rats with Aroclor 1254 prior to HCBD administration appeared to produce a small increase in nephrotoxicity of HCBD without producing any liver changes. Treatment with either phenobarbitone or SKF 525A prior to HCBD administration did not modify toxicity. In kidney, HCBD may be activated via a different metabolic pathway than in liver and this metabolism may be enhanced by Aroclor 1254 treatment.