Aroclor 1254 and
Aroclor 1248, at doses of 11.7 and 4.7 mg/kg
body weight (equivalent to 5 and 2 mg/kg/day), were given 3 days per week to groups of cynomolgus monkeys, and caused
weight loss, fingernail loss, facial
edema,
epiphora, and death. Blood and adipose tissue PCB concentrations rose with the length of treatment. Tissue concentrations in blood, adipose tissue, liver and kidneys were highest in monkeys treated with
Aroclor 1254, reflecting dose differences. There was considerable variation, both within and between groups, in hematologic responses to PCB treatment.
Aroclor 1254-treated monkeys had depressed and weakly responsive erythropoiesis.
Aroclor 1248-treated monkeys had active but ineffective or depressed erythropoiesis with severe macrocytic or moderate normocytic
anemia. Biochemical determination of blood serum constituents revealed treatment and time-related trends towards
hypoalbuminemia and increased
alkaline phosphatase,
serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, serum
glutamic pyruvic transaminase, lactic
dehydrogenase,
cholesterol,
triglycerides, total
bilirubin and direct
bilirubin values. Pathologic lesions common in both
Aroclor groups were dilatation of meibomian glands duct; mucinous
hyperplasia of the gastric mucosa;
atrophy and loss of germinal centers in the splenic and other lymphoid follicles; enlargement, fatty degeneration, and
necrosis of hepatocytes; bile duct and gall bladder epithelial cell
hypertrophy and
hyperplasia; and thyroid aberrations in follicular cell size and number of intracytoplasmic lysosomes. Lesions seen exclusively in an
Aroclor 1254-treated monkey were widespread mucinous
metaplasia and
hyperplasia of the fundic mucosa. The results suggest that in general, cynomolgus monkeys may be more refractory or less susceptible to PCB toxicity than rhesus monkeys and, that
Aroclor 1248 may be more toxic than
Aroclor 1254.