Effects of 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl in the brain of the neonatal mouse.

To study the retention of TCB in the brain of the immature mouse and its effects on the muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, [14C]TCB and TCB were administered to 10-day-old mice as a single peroral dose of 1.5 MBq/kg body wt and 0.41 mg or 41 mg/kg body wt, respectively. The mice were killed 24 h or 7 days after treatment. The amount of radioactivity in the whole brain decreased by 78% between 24 h and 7 days after administration. The density of muscarinic receptors was measured using the muscarinic antagonist [3H]QNB. A significant decrease (16%) in specific [3H]QNB binding was observed in the hippocampus 7 days after treatment. Despite the relatively rapid elimination of TCB from the immature mouse brain, a single low dose of TCB given during the period of rapid development of the cholinergic system appeared to affect the muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the immature mice.