Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and its effect on selected biochemical functions.

A statistically significant dependence of the levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) in the blood of white rats on the quantity of repeated doses of Delor was found. The effect of PCB content in the blood of animals on the changes of selected biochemical functions was studied in a short-term experiment. When PCB concentrations were proximate to the proposed biological limit (200 micrograms PCB. 1(-1) of blood), the content of cholesterol, triglycerides and total lipides in serum increased statistically significantly which indicates an intervention of PCB's into the metabolism of lipides. Depending on the doses of Delor administered, the relative weight of the animals' livers increased statistically significantly. Even at low levels of PCB's im blood hepatotoxic effects of Delor were manifested by statistically significant changes in the activities of sorbitol and malate dehydrogenases. Activity changes of the given serum dehydrogenases were proportional to the quantity of the dose of Delor administered.