Effects of 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) injected into the yolks of chicken (Gallus domesticus) eggs prior to incubation.

The yolks of White Leghorn chicken (Gallus domesticus) eggs were injected prior to incubation with either 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126) at doses ranging from 0.1 to 12.8 microg/kg egg or 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) at doses ranging from 0.04 to 0.64 microg/kg egg. Chicks were subjected to necropsy within 24 h of hatching. The brain, bursa, heart, liver, and spleen were removed and weighed. Assessment of the rate of hatching indicated an LD50+/-S.E. of 2.3+/-0.19 microg/kg egg (7. 1+/-0.58 nmol/kg egg) for PCB 126 and 0.15 +/- 0.012 microg/kg egg (0.47 +/- 0.037 nmol/kg egg) for TCDD. No significant differences in the incidence of developmental abnormalities (structural defects and edema) were observed in TCDD-exposed embryos, while PCB 126 caused significantly more developmental abnormalities at 3.2, 6.4, and 12.8 microg/kg egg than the vehicle control. PCB 126 caused lower hatchling weights and greater relative brain, heart, and liver weights when compared to the vehicle control group at a dose of 3.2 microg/kg egg which is greater than the LD50. TCDD at 0.08 microg/kg egg caused relative bursa weights to be less than those of the vehicle control. A toxic equivalency factor (TEF) of 0.07 was determined for PCB 126 in relation to TCDD based on overt lethality.