The toxicokinetics of 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in mammalian systems

Health-risk estimates for 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzodioxin: an overview

As has been abundantly noted by many investigators, the paucity of definitive knowledge of metabolism, pharmacokinetics and pathogenesis of the chlorinated dioxins, principally 2,3,7,8-TCDD, in human populations continues to severely limit our ability to evaluate the scope of the chronic and delayed effects of exposure to these agents. The marked qualitative and quantitative differences in the response of animals to TCDD plus the inability to validate a number of the critical assumptions and mathematical models relative to risk assessment make the extrapolation of data from intact animals to man particularly uncertain. Hence, it is vital to vigorously pursue the elaboration of the mechanism of action of TCDD at the molecular level. This should greatly contribute to our fundamental understanding of this agent and the potential danger that it may pose for man.

Allylisopropylacetamide induces rat hepatic ornithine decarboxylase

In rat liver, allylisopropylacetamide (AIA) treatment strongly induced (25-fold) the activity of rat hepatic ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). By either the oral or the subcutaneous route, AIA produced a long-lasting induction (30 to 40 hours) of hepatic ODC activity. Three analogs of AIA, propylisopropylacetamide (PIA), allobarbital, and allylbenzene, were active ODC inducers while a fourth, allylacetate, was not. Although induction of hepatic aminolevulinic acid (ALA) synthetase activity and the accumulation of hepatic porphyrins depend on the allyl moiety of AIA, this is not the case with hepatic ODC induction. Allylisopropylacetamide did not elevate serum alanine aminotransferase (SGPT) nor did it cause DNA damage, as measured by the alkaline elution assay. Thus, hepatic cell death is not a likely explanation of AIA's long-lasting induction of ODC. As AIA does not belong to any of the common categories of ODC inducers, it may be the chemical prototype of a new class of hepatic ODC inducers.

Uptake of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin from plasma lipoproteins by cultured human fibroblasts

Tritiated 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) added to human plasma in vitro associated with the plasma lipoproteins. The effects of plasma and lipoproteins on cellular uptake of dioxin were studied using normal human skin fibroblasts and mutant fibroblasts from a patient with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. The latter cells lack the normal cell membrane receptor for low density lipoprotein (LDL). The time- and temperature-dependent cellular uptake of [3H]dioxin was greatest from LDL, intermediate from high density lipoprotein (HDL) and least from serum. A significantly greater uptake from LDL by the normal cells compared to the mutant cells indicated the involvement of the LDL receptor-mediated pathway. Concentration-dependent studies indicated that the cellular uptake at 37 degrees C of [3H]dioxin varied linearly with dioxin concentration at constant LDL concentration. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) showed that conversion to more polar compounds may have occurred after 24-h incubation with cells. [3H]Dioxin could be removed from cells efficiently by incubation with 20% serum greater than HDL greater than LDL. Since the vehicle of delivery may influence subsequent location and metabolism of this compound in cells, it is concluded that the physiologic vehicles (either serum- or LDL-associated dioxin), rather than organic solvents, should be used in experiments with cultured cells or perfused organs.

Health hazard assessment for chlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans other than 2, 3, 7, 8-TCDD

EPA is faced with the need to perform health risk assessments of environmental materials containing mixtures of chlorinated dioxins and -dibenzofurans. Preferably, such an assessment must be based on the direct evaluation of chronic health effects of the mixture or on a knowledge of the toxic effects of each of the components. In the absence of such data, the authors have developed two pragmatic approaches that can reasonably be applied to mixtures such as flyash or contaminated soil. The details of these approaches, viewed as interim procedures, are compared and contrasted with those used by other regulatory and public health authorities.

Effect of thyroid hormones on liver microsomal enzyme induction in rats exposed to 2,3,7,8,-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

The effect of thyroidectomy and thyroid hormone replacement therapy on liver microsomal enzyme induction was studied in 2,3,7,8,-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-treated rats (100 micrograms/kg). Treatment of non-thyroidectomized rats with TCDD had no effect on the concentration of liver microsomal cytochrome b5. In contrast, cytochrome b5 content was increased by TCDD treatment of thyroidectomized rats, regardless of replacement therapy with either T3 or T4. TCDD treatment increased the concentration of cytochrome P-450 (2-3-fold) and the activities of benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase (4-7-fold), ethoxyresorufin O-de-ethylase (50-70-fold) and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (5-7-fold) in non-thyroidectomized and thyroidectomized as well as thyroidectomized thyroid hormone treated rats; indicating the induction of these liver microsomal enzyme activities is independent of thyroid status. Because thyroid status alters the toxicity of TCDD but does not alter the ability of TCDD to induce microsomal enzymes, it appears that TCDD toxicity may not be directly related to microsomal enzyme induction.

Effect of partial jejunectomy and colectomy on the disposition of hexachlorobenzene in rats treated or not treated with hexadecane

The disposition of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was studied in partially jejunectomized (middle section) or colectomized (excision of cecum and proximal colon) rats after iv or ip dosage (1.5 to 2.0 mg/kg). Excision of about 50% of the jejunum had no effect on body weight, feed intake, volume of urine, weight of feces, or urinary and fecal excretion of HCB as demonstrated by a comparison of sham-operated and jejunectomized animals. Similarly colectomy did not affect body weight, feed intake, volume of urine, or urinary excretion of HCB. However, the wet weight of feces was significantly higher and the amount of HCB in feces significantly lower in colectomized than in sham-operated rats. Hexadecane increased fecal excretion of HCB about two- to threefold without affecting its urinary excretion. The effect of jejunectomy and colectomy was similar in hexadecane-treated animals to that seen in untreated rats. Concentration of HCB in adipose tissue was significantly higher in colectomized rats than in sham-operated controls. Data represent in vivo evidence that the major site of nonbiliary, intestinal excretion of HCB is the large intestine.

Laboratory and human studies on polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and related compounds

Similar qualitative toxic effects have been observed in animals for a class of halogenated aromatic compounds, which include the halogenated biphenyls, naphthalenes, dibenzodioxins, and dibenzofurans. All of these compounds are lipid soluble and persist in the environment and in mammals. The polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) are the most persistent. They are predominantly stored in fatty tissue; they pass the placenta and are excreted in milk. Some isomers of the halogenated biphenyls are more toxic than others. With some exceptions, the more toxic isomers are retained longer in tissues and are also the carcinogenic components of the mixture. Most of these chemicals seem to be promoters of carcinogenesis in animals rather than initiators. An array of toxic effects in laboratory animals has been ascribed to these compounds and numerous reviews summarizing this information are available. Less information is available on the human health effects of environmental and occupational exposure. Results of recent studies in animals to further elucidate the effects of these chemicals are presented, and results from some human studies conducted in the United States are reviewed.

Intestinal excretion of toxic substances

Chemicals can be eliminated from body via feces by two major mechanisms, namely biliary and intestinal excretion. The relative importance of these processes in the elimination of a highly lipophilic xenobiotic such as hexachlorobenzene (HCB) has been studied. It has been demonstrated that fecal (90%) rather than urinary (10%) excretion is the major route of elimination of HCB in most species. It has been shown also that the bile of HCB dosed animals contained HCB metabolites only whereas fecal excretion consisted primarily of the parent compound. These findings suggested that the bile could not be the source of fecal HCB. Indeed, bile duct ligation in rats increased rather than decreased the fecal excretion of HCB. Experiments in rhesus monkeys with complete biliary bypass confirmed the conclusion that the source of fecal HCB is not the bile, suggesting that most of the fecal HCB originated from intestinal excretion. Exfoliation of intestinal epithelium and exudation across the intestinal mucosa are the two major nonbiliary mechanisms whereby xenobiotics can enter the intestinal lumen. The contribution of desquamation and exudation to fecal excretion of HCB was estimated in jejunectomized and hemicolectomized rats. Removal of 50% of the jejunum did not influence fecal excretion of HCB, whereas excision of 50% of the large intestine reduced it by 40%. These data suggest that the source of fecal HCB is nonbiliary, intestinal transfer (exudation) from blood into the intestinal contents, which occurs primarily in the large intestine. Fecal elimination of HCB is significantly enhanced by dietary treatments with mineral oil or hexadecane.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Hexadecane increases the toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD): is brown adipose tissue the primary target in TCDD-induced wasting syndrome?

Addition of 5% hexadecane to the diet of rats increased fecal excretion of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) from 14 to 39% of an LD50 dose (60 micrograms/kg) during 10 days after dosing. This enhanced elimination did not result in reduced toxicity. On the contrary, the treatment has increased mortality from 60% in controls to 100% in hexadecane treated animals. Body weight changes were good indicators for predicting survival or nonsurvival after the LD50 dose but thymus weights were depressed without regard to survival status. The mechanism by which hexadecane potentiates the toxicity of TCDD is unknown but it is likely to be due to effects altering the disposition of TCDD. Based on similarities in the disposition of TCDD and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), it is suggested that the lethality causing target of TCDD is part of the peripheral compartment. The only site in the peripheral compartment that is compatible with the many thousand-fold species differences observed in TCDD toxicity is brown adipose tissue. The hypothesis is advanced that interaction between thyroid hormones and brown adipose tissue are responsible for the species differences in TCDD toxicity.

Effects of BHA, d-alpha-tocopherol and retinol acetate on TCDD-mediated changes in lipid peroxidation, glutathione peroxidase activity and survival

Daily treatment of female rats with butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) protected against 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) toxicity. This protective effect was associated with reduced microsomal lipid peroxidation, increased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activity and decreased aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity. Retinol acetate (vitamin A) inhibited lipid peroxidation, elevated GSH-PX activity, and enhanced AHH activity. Thirty per cent of vitamin A-treated animals were alive 25 d after a lethal dose of TCDD. d-alpha-Tocopherol (vitamin E) inhibited markedly microsomal lipid peroxidation, enhanced AHH activity, and had no effect on GSH-PX activity. Only 10% of the vitamin E-treated animals were alive 25 d after a lethal dose of TCDD. The mechanism of TCDD toxicity may involve in part inhibition of GSH-PX activity with resultant lipid peroxidation by hydrogen peroxide.

Liver morphology in guinea pigs fed pyrolysis products of a polychlorinated biphenyl transformer fluid continuously for 90 days

After a fire involving a transformer, the State Office Building in Binghamton, New York, was contaminated with soot containing polychlorinated biphenyls, biphenylenes, naphthalenes, dioxins, and dibenzofurans. The toxicity of the soot and its effect on liver morphology after prolonged (subchronic) exposure were determined for both sexes of Hartley guinea pigs, which were fed soot continuously for 90 days. By light microscopy the observed alterations of the liver were predominantly centrilobular; they included hepatocyte hypertrophy, steatosis, increased glycogen and iron, focal necrosis, and bile duct proliferation with fibrosis. Cytoplasmic vacuoles and acidophilic hyalin-like bodies were observed. Electron microscopy of hepatocytes showed proliferated smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER), cytoplasmic vacuoles, concentric membrane arrays (CMAs), glycogen bodies, and microdroplets of fat, often without limiting membranes. The vacuoles frequently contained membrane fragments and had a halo-like periphery composed of proliferated membranes. Cell debris, membrane fragments, and small CMAs were observed in the sinusoids. Membrane fragments were also observed in the bile canaliculi and bile ducts. Intoxicated bile duct cells contained more cytoplasmic myelin whorls and altered mitochondria. In contrast to the previously reported study of a single dose, these liver alterations showed a strong dose dependence, emphasizing the importance of time and method of administration. The cytoplasmic vacuoles, which were not pronounced in the previous study, are here a prominent alteration, probably originating from outpouchings of canaliculi and sinusoidal membranes. A hypothesis for the mechanism of hepatocyte detoxification based on the proliferated SER and ejection of membrane fragments is proposed.

Cutaneous signs of systemic toxicity due to dioxins and related chemicals

The controversy about dioxin effects on human health received a great deal of attention recently when the State of Missouri was declared to have a dioxin crisis. However, dioxin and several related chemicals are widespread throughout the world. Cutaneous signs play an important part in evaluating toxicity of dioxin and similar chemicals. Chloracne is the most sensitive indicator of significant dioxin exposure. Porphyria cutanea tarda and hyperpigmentation are other known cutaneous effects, and malignant fibrous histiocytomas of the skin may possibly be associated, although data are inconclusive on this point. The AMC Council on Scientific Affairs recommended that all physicians become familiar with chloracne and other toxic effects of dioxin. Dermatologists, especially, should be aware of the problem and may discover early cases of previously unsuspected exposure to this group of chemicals.

Studies on the metabolic fate of [14C]2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in the mouse

Studies on the Metabolic Fate of [14C]2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in the Mouse. KOSHAKJI, R. P., HARBISON, R. D., and BUSH, M. T. (1984). Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 73, 69-77. After a single po dose (135 micrograms/kg; 62 microCi/kg) of 14C-labeled 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in male ICR/Ha Swiss mice, 67 to 76% of the administered dose was eliminated via the feces and 1 to 2% in the urine during the first 24 hr following treatment. It seems likely that most of this material was simply not absorbed. Much of the remaining chemical was then excreted slowly in the urine (2%) and feces (7%) during the next 10 days, partly as the unchanged compound and partly as metabolites. One of the metabolites (Fraction II) appears to be a single polar, acidic metabolite characterized in urine (0.4 +/- 0.1%) and feces (2.2 +/- 0.2%), and is also likely excreted as a glucuronide conjugate. The rest of the radioactivity was in the form of unchanged TCDD in the animal body (17 +/- 2%). Steady rates of decline in the concentrations of the 14C as well as of the unchanged TCDD were reached in the feces and urine after the fifth day following the administration of the chemical. Based on this steady rate, the half-life of the radioactivity in the body was approximately 20 days. Urine, feces, and whole body were analyzed by solvent extraction, 14C counting, thin-layer chromatography, and countercurrent distribution.

Health implications of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD) contamination of residential soil

Extrapolations from animal toxicity experiments (including carcinogenicity and reproductive effects) to possible human heath effects can be used to estimate a reasonable level of risk for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD). Extrapolations are derived from: (1) review of published studies, (2) a complex set of assumptions related to human exposure to contaminated soil, and (3) estimates of (a) a dose response curve, (b) appropriate margins of safety, and/or (c) applicable mechanisms of action. One ppb of 2,3,7,8-TCDD in soil is a reasonable level at which to begin consideration of action to limit human exposure for contaminated soil.

Teratogenicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran in the mouse

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDBF) was administered in single doses (0.1-0.8 mg/kg body weight) intraperitoneally to pregnant C57BL mice on d 10, 11, 12, or 13 of gestation. A dose-dependent increase was observed in the frequency of fetal resorptions and fetal death, especially in the earlier stages (d 10-11). Cleft palate and hydronephrosis as well appeared in a dose-dependent manner, with a peak in sensitivity after administration on d 11-12. TCDBF given at a dose level of 0.1 mg/kg body weight on d 12 of gestation (only dose- and stage-tested) produced a marked thymic hypoplasia as well. A few cases of general hydrops occurred. The pattern of malformations and time of sensitivity corresponded well to that observed earlier after administration of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD; ED50 approximately equal to 25 micrograms/kg) and 3,3',4,4'-tetrachloroazoxybenzene (TCAOB; ED50 approximately equal to 6 mg/kg), two congeners of TCDBF, indicating common mechanisms of action of this family of compounds. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is an important enzyme in cell proliferation and growth with a high activity in embryonic tissues. Liver ODC activity has previously been found to be stimulated by TCDD in weaning mice. However, this enzyme was not found to be stimulated in fetal and placental tissues, but slightly in maternal kidney after treatment with TCDBF in teratogenic doses. It is possible that the ODC activity increases under certain conditions only, on administration of TCDD and its congeners.

Excretion and distribution of two occupational toxicants, tetrachloroazobenzene and tetrachloroazoxybenzene in the rat

The clearance profile and tissue distribution of 2 occupational toxicants, 3,3',4,4'-tetrachloroazobenzene (TCAB) and 3,3',4,4'-tetrachloroazoxybenzene (TCAOB), were examined in male Sprague-Dawley rats. TCAB was found to be cleared from the body more rapidly than TCAOB when a single dose of 14C-labeled TCAB or TCAOB was administered orally. While 66% of the administered TCAB dose was excreted via the urine and feces within the first 24 h, TCAOB-treated animals were only able to clear 37% of the administered dose by the same elimination route. The half-lives for elimination of TCAB and TCAOB were estimated to be 18 h and 34 h, respectively. Examination of the tissue distribution of the remaining radioactivity indicated that, for both compounds, the adipose tissue contained the highest level of radioactivity. The rapid elimination of TCAB and TCAOB by rats may explain in part the reduced toxicity of these 2 compounds to whole animals in comparison to the isosteric 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin.

Immunosuppressive effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in strains of mice with different susceptibility to induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase

Mouse strains with different susceptibility to aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) induction and with different levels and/or affinity for a specific cytosolic binding protein ("receptor") were used to investigate the immunosuppressive effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Humoral antibody production was strongly inhibited in C57Bl/6 and C3H/HeN mice (more susceptible strains) with very low, single doses of TCDD (1.2 micrograms/kg), while other strains (DBA/2 and AKR) required higher doses (at least 6 micrograms/kg) to be partially suppressed. Longer exposure (8 weeks) did not increase the sensitivity of DBA/2 mice. A good correlation between the degree of enzyme inducibility and immunosuppression was observed in studies with B6D2F1 mice and backcrosses. Similar results were obtained with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF), the most powerful competitor for TCDD "receptor" in vitro and in vivo. TCDD immunotoxic effects appeared to be associated with the presence of a specific cytosolic binding protein which mediates AHH induction.

Lipid peroxidation as a possible cause of TCDD toxicity

The target tissues of TCDD, the dysfunctions that result in death in experimental animals, and the ultimate biochemical lesion(s) caused by TCDD are not known despite numerous studies. We have shown by the thiobarbituric acid and conjugated diene methods that TCDD induces hepatic lipid peroxidation in rats. The lipid peroxidation produced by TCDD is both dose and time dependent. A 5-6 fold increase in lipid peroxidation occurs within 6 days following the administration of 40 micrograms TCDD/kg body weight/day for 3 days. Thus, the toxicity of TCDD may be caused in part by free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation that leads to general cell membrane damage which can ultimately produce death in experimental animals at acutely toxic doses.