Comparative decontamination of hexachlorobenzene-exposed rats and rabbits by hexadecane.

The effect of 8 wk of hexadecane (Hex; 5% w/w) in the diet on the disposition of [14C]hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was examined under identical conditions in rats and rabbits. Urine and feces were collected daily. Blood was obtained periodically, HCB was determined in serum, erythrocytes, heart, muscle, lungs, liver, kidney, spleen, fat, skin, and brain, as well as in excreta. The half-life of HCB was similar in the two species examined (rat 24 d; rabbit 32 d). Hex treatment increased by 4-5-fold the daily fecal excretion of HCB, resulting in correspondingly reduced half-lives of HCB in both species (rat 8 d, rabbits 12 d). As a result of Hex treatment, HCB concentrations in fat (major tissue of storage) of rabbits were about 5 times and in rats about 13 times lower than in corresponding controls. In general, the decrease of HCB in other tissues paralleled that in fat. Data indicate that the effect of Hex on the disposition of HCB is very similar in rats and rabbits.