FAILURE OF HEXACHLOROBENZENE TO INDUCE DOMINANT LETHAL MUTATIONS IN THE RAT

Three groups of 10 male rats each were gavaged with 0, 70, or 221 mg hexachlorobenzene (HCB)/kg daily for 5 consecutive days. Ten other male rats received a single oral dose of 0.5 mg triethylenemelamine (TEM)/kg. Both compounds were dissolved in corn oil. Following the last administration, each male rat was allowed to mate with two naive, nulliparous females per week for 14 consecutive weeks. Females were sacrificed on Day 14 of gestation. Their ovaries and uteri were exposed and examined for numbers of corpora lutea and total, living and dead implantations. Mating and fertility frequencies were calculated. TEM elicited typical dominant lethal events. HCB did not. Dose-dependent decreases in the numbers of females inseminated and impregnated were observed. © 1979.