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. 1978 Sep 1;19(3):368–376. doi: 10.1186/BF03547606

Tissue Localization of DDT and Two PCB Isomers (Octa- and Tetra-Chlorobiphenyl) in Laying Quails

Vavnadslokalisation av DDT och två PCB-isomerer (okta- och tetra-klorbifenyl) i värpande vaktelhöna

Ingvar Brandt 15,25,✉, Per-Gunnar Högman 15, Ywonne Larsson 15, Sten Olsson 15
PMCID: PMC8366337  PMID: 103379

Abstract

Whole-body autoradiography of DDT-14G, 2,2′,4,5′-tetrachlorobiphenyl-14G and 2,2′,3,3′,4,4′,5,6′-octachlorobiphenyl-14C in laying quails indicated a strong deposition of radioactivity in the yolk of the growing follicles and the egg, confirming this to be a significant excretion route of lipophilic environmental pollutants in laying birds. A specific uptake of DDT and octachlorobiphenyl, but not of tetrachloro-biphenyl, was observed in the cortical cords of the adrenals. The octachlorobiphenyl was concentrated also in the ovarian stroma. Both DDT and the tetrachlorobiphenyl were excreted in the bile juice to the small intestine. No such excretion of octachlorobiphenyl was observed, indicating its rate of metabolization to be low. All compounds were accumulated and stored in the body fat. A previously described specific accumulation of 2,2′,4,5′-tetrachlorobiphenyl in the respiratory tract of mice was not observed in the quail.

Keywords: DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), autoradiography, quail, adrenal, ovary, yolk

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Acknowledgments

We are indebted to Professor Carl Axel Wachtmeister and his co-workers Drs. Äke Bergman and Göran Sundström for the synthesis of the labelled polychlorobiphenyls. Miss Raili Pensas and Mr. Hans Sundberg are acknowledged for skilful technical assistance.

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