Gas-liquid chromatographic determination of the distribution of 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl in the adult female rat following short-term oral administration.

A gas-liquid chromatographic assay using electron-capture detection was developed for the quantitation of 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCBP) in the serum, urine, brain, liver, adipose tissue, and feces of the rat. The sample preparation involves extraction of 3,3',4,4'-TCBP with hexane under neutral or alkaline conditions (and washing with concentrated acid for feces only). Aqueous standards are used for calibration of the assay, except for adipose tissue. The lower limit of quantitative sensitivity of the assay for 3,3',4,4'-TCBP is 25 ng/mL for serum and urine and 125 ng/g for brain, liver, adipose tissue, and feces, which can be extended to 5 ng/mL and 25 ng/g, respectively, by analyzing a larger aliquot of the hexane extract. The overall accuracy is greater than 95% for serum, urine, brain and feces and 86% for liver, and the within-day coefficient of variation does not exceed 8.6%. 3,3',4,4'-TCBP was administered orally to adult, female, Sprague-Dawley rats in the dosage regimens: 0.2, 0.5 and 2 mg X kg-1 X day-1 for 10 days and 5 mg X kg-1 X day-1 for 4 days. 3,3',4,4'-TCBP distributed preferentially into adipose tissue and liver, where the xenobiotic concentration was greater in adipose tissue. The adipose tissue and hepatic 3,3',4,4'-TCBP concentrations were dependent on both the absolute dose and dosing schedule of the xenobiotic. Only trace concentrations, usually below the lower limit of quantitation, were detected in the serum, brain and kidney. Fecal excretion of 3,3',4,4'-TCBP was greater than urinary excretion for the 5 mg X kg-1 X day-1 X 4-day regimen.