Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) induction by polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs): enchancement by photolysis.

Irradiation of the commercial polybrominated biphenyl (PBB( mixture, fireMaster BP-6, in cyclohexane solution at 300 nm for 930 min resulted in a marked diminution of the major components of the mixture. Administration of the photolyzed PBB mixture of fireMaster BP-6 to immature male Wistar rats caused both dose-related decreases in thymus weight and increase in hepatic microsomal benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase (AHH), 4-dimethylaminoantipyrine N-demethylase and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activities and cytochrome P-450 content. The dose effecting half-maximal AHH induction for the photolyzed PBBs (9 mg . KG-1) was approximately 6 times lower than that of fireMaster BP-6 (50 mg. kg-1). Furthermore, the concentration of photolyzed PBBs (2 micrometers) required to displace 50% of the specifically-bound [3H] TCDD from its high-affinity cytosolic Ah receptor was approximately 150 times lower than that required for fireMaster BP-6 (300 micrometers), as measured by sucrose density gradient centrifugation analysis. The results suggest that the photolysis of the commercial PBB mixture yields products which possess increased biologic activity.