Short-term effects of chlorophenols on the function and viability of primary cultured rat hepatocytes.

Primary cultured rat hepatocytes were used as an experimental model to detect adverse effects of five chlorophenols (CP) in vitro (penta-CP, 2,3,4,5-tetra-CP, 2,4,5,-tri-CP, 2,4-di-CP, and 4-mono-CP). Monolayer cultures were exposed to the test compounds for 1 h, and concentration-response curves were established with respect to the effects on phase I and phase II metabolism of 7-ethoxycoumarin (7-EC) and on cellular ATP content. All CP tested inhibited the O-dealkylation of 7-EC, with half-maximum effective concentrations (EC50) ranging from about 36 microM for the three highest chlorinated phenols to 215 microM for 4-mono-CP, which proved to be least effective. The subsequent conjugation of the primary metabolite 7-hydroxycoumarin was even more sensitive towards CP exposure than the O-deethylation process. The concentrations which reduced the percentage of conjugated metabolite to 50% of the respective control cultures ranged from 7 microM for penta-CP to 48 microM for 4-mono-CP. Treatment of cultured hepatocytes with CP additionally resulted in a depletion of cellular ATP at EC50 concentrations ranging from 6 microM for penta-CP to 1330 microM for 4-mono-CP. Cellular viability, as measured by the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase from the cells, was not affected by any of the CP within the 1-h exposure period.