MULTIGENERATIONAL STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF CONSUMPTION OF PCB-CONTAMINATED CARP FROM SAGINAW BAY, LAKE HURON, ON MINK. 1. EFFECTS ON MINK REPRODUCTION, KIT GROWTH AND SURVIVAL, AND SELECTED BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS

• Published in: Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A Part A, 1998-07, Vol.54 (5), p.343-375
• Main Authors: RESTUM, J. C, BURSIAN, S. J, GIESY, J. P, RENDER, J. A, HELFERICH, W. G, SHIPP, E. B, VERBRUGGE, D. A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight - drug effects; Carps - metabolism; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; Female; Food Contamination - analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Great Lakes Region; Growth - drug effects; Male; Mammalia; Meat - analysis; Mink - physiology; Organ Size - drug effects; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - pharmacokinetics; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - toxicity; Pregnancy; Reproduction - drug effects; Survival Analysis; Testis - pathology; Thyroid Hormones - blood; Time Factors; Vulva - pathology; Water Pollutants, Chemical - pharmacokinetics; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity
• ISSN: 1528-7394; 0098-4108; 1087-2620
• DOI: 10.1080/009841098158791

This study was conducted to determine the multigenerational effects of consumption of PCB-contaminated carp (Cyprinus carpio) from Saginaw Bay ( Lake Huron) on mink (Mustela vison) reproduction and health and to examine selected biomarkers as potential indicators of polyhalogenated hydrocarbon toxicity in mink. The mink were fed diets formulated to provide 0 (control), 0.25, 0.5, or 1.0 ppm polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) through substitution of Saginaw Bay carp for ocean fish in the diets. To determine whether the effects of PCB exposure were permanent, half of the parental (P ) animals 1 were switched from their respective treatment diets to the control diet after whelping the first of two F1 generations. Effects of in utero and lactational exposure to PCBs on subse1 quent reproductive performance of the F1 animals were examined by switching half of the first-year F offspring (kits) to the control diet at weaning, while the other half was continued on their parental diet (continuous exposure). Continuous exposure to 0.25 ppm, or more, of PCBs delayed the onset of estrus (as determined by vulvar swelling and time of mating) and lessened the whelping rate. Litters whelped by females continually exposed to 0.5 ppm, or more, of PCBs had greater mortality and lesser body weights than controls. Continuous exposure to 1.0 ppm PCBs had a variable effect on serum T4 and T3 concentrations. Compared to the controls, there were significant differences in kidney, liver, brain, spleen, heart, and thyroid gland weights of the mink continually exposed to 1.0 ppm PCBs. There was an increase in the incidence of periportal and diffuse vacuolar hepatocellular lipidosis in the P1 mink with continuous exposure to increas1 ing concentrations of PCBs. Plasma and liver PCB concentrations of the adult and kit mink were, in general, directly related to the dietary concentration of PCBs and the duration and time of exposure. Short-term parental exposure to PCBs had detrimental effects on survival of subsequent generations of mink conceived months after the parents were placed on ''clean" feed. The lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) for dietary PCBs in this study was 0.25 ppm.