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Ingested Polychlorinated Biphenyl (Aroclor 1242) and Growth, Calcium and Zinc Absorption, and Intestinal Ultrastructure in Chicks1
Ingested Poly chlorinated Biphenyl (Aroclor 1242) and Growth, Calcium and Zinc Absorption, and Intestinal Ultrastructure in Chicks' D.
E. TURK AND K.
G.
HIETMAN
Food Science Department, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29631 (Received for publication June 30, 1975)
ABSTRACT Decreased growth, edema, labored breathing, internal hemorrhaging, and high mortality were seen in chicks fed 48 or 197 p.p.m. Aroclor 1242 for 7 weeks. Calcium absorption was increased when birds were fed 197 p.p.m. PCB while zinc absorption was increased in birds fed both levels of PCB. Duodenal mucosal cell respiration rates were unaffected by either PCB treatment. Upon ultrastructural examination, mitochrondrial alterations, lipid accumulations in the lamina propriae, edema, and swollen endoplasmic reticula were found in duodenal mucosal cells. Necrotic areas were found in the kidney proximal tubule region of PCB fed birds. 1976
INTRODUCTION
PROCEDURE
T
H E polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) h a v e been shown to be toxic to chicks. Toxicity s y m p t o m s , including e d e m a , poor growth, h y d r o p e r i c a r d i u m , labored breathing, and enlarged kidneys have been reported (Flick et al, 1965; Rehfeld et al., 1971). Physiological alterations resulting from P C B intoxication have been discussed by Rehfeld etal. (1971) w h o found decreased hemoglobin levels and packed cell volume in P C B intoxicated chicks. A m o u n t s of calcium and magnesium in the plasma of these birds were normal, h o w e v e r . Greene et al. (1972) found heavy concentrations of smooth endoplasmic reticulum with vesicles containing fat droplets. Much smooth endoplasmic reticulum contained clumps of clear t o slightly d e n s e material interpreted as altered glycogen.
O n e hundred forty mixed sex day-old Single C o m b White Leghorn chicks were randomly distributed into three g r o u p s . Thirty chicks were fed a corn-soybean oil meal-fish meal chick starter (Table 1) free of polychlorinated biphenyls. Fifty chicks were fed a similar ration in which part of the fish meal 2 used w a s contaminated with Aroclor 1242. This ration contained 48 p . p . m . of P C B . Sixty chicks were fed a similar ration in which all of the f i s h - m e a l 2 was contaminated with Aroclor 1242 resulting in a ration containing 197 p . p . m . of P C B . All birds were housed in electrically heated wire floored batteries with ad libitum access to the experimental rations and tap water. Feed consumption and individual b o d y weights were m e a s u r e d at weekly intervals.
T h e present study was initiated to determine the effects of toxic a m o u n t s of the P C B Aroclor 1242® in the digestive tract and kidneys of chicks.
At 3 , 5, and 7 w e e k s calcium absorption and zinc absorption were measured by the method of T u r k (1973) and Turk and Stephens 2. PCB contaminated fish meal used in this experiment was obtained from East Coast Terminal, Inc., Wilmington, North Carolina and contained approximately 1600 p.p.m. of Aroclor 1242 produced by Monsanto Chemical Company, East St. Louis, Missouri.
1. Published with the approval of the Director of the South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station as Technical Contribution Number 1277. 672
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on May 27, 2015
POULTRY SCIENCE 55: 672-678,
673
P C B , GROWTH, ABSORPTION AND INTESTINE
TABLE 3.—Effect of dietary Aroclor 1242 on calcium absorption in chicks
TABLE 1.—Composition of diets used
600
500 48 ppm PCB 197 ppm PCB
"7
/ / , ' s*
XX X s X s X * X ' ••' X * .•* X * .* X * •*
300
en
y*
200
X* ••*
£
IOO
C-
i 1 1 1 2 3 Aqe (weeks)
I
I
I
FIG. 1. Effect of ingested polychlorinated biphenyl (Aroclor 1242) on chick growth from 1 day of age to 6 weeks of age. TABLE 2.—Effect of dietary Aroclor 1242 on feed efficiency of chicks 0-5 weeks of age Treatment Aroclor 1242 p.p.m. 0 48 197
Feed/gain gm./gm. 2.58 2.08 2.19
TABLE 4.—Effect of dietary Aroclor 1242 on zinc absorption in chicks Treatment Aroclor 1242 p.p.m.
AVERAGE WEIGHT GAINS
*+00
Treatment Cal cium absorption 1 Aroclor % of control 1242 5 wk. 2 7 wk. 2 3 wk. 2 p.p.m. 100 100 100 0 98 86 142 48 129 154* 174* 197 'Amount of Ca-45 appearing in the blood stream of five Aroclor 1242 fed birds following an oral dose of 10 jjiCi. Ca-45 divided by that appearing in the blood stream of five control birds, multiplied by 100. 2 Period of time the indicated amount of Aroclor 1242 was fed before the calcium absorption determination was made. *Significantly (P < .05) different from Aroclor free diet.
0 48 197
Zinc absorption' % of control 3 wk. 5 wk. 2 7 wk. : 2
100 129 163**
100 211* 131
100 233** 250**
'Amount of 65Zn appearing in the blood stream of five Aroclor 1242 fed birds following an oral dose of 50 |xCi. 65 Zn divided by that appearing in the blood stream of five control birds, multiplied by 100. 2 Period of time the indicated amount of Aroclor 1242 was fed before zinc absorption was measured. "Highly significantly (P < 0.01) different from the Aroclor free diets. (1966). Five birds were selected r a n d o m l y from each treatment for the m e a s u r e m e n t of the absorption of each mineral. Following the m e a s u r e m e n t of mineral absorption, these birds were sacrificed and the rate of oxygen c o n s u m p t i o n of the intestinal mucosal cells was determined with a Clark electrode. 3 Intestinal and kidney tissues were r e m o v e d from 3 of the control b i r d s , 2 of t h e 48 p . p . m . P C B fed birds, and 2 of the 197 p . p . m . P C B fed birds at the end of each of the 3 , 5,
3. Biological Oxygen Monitor, Yellow Spring Instrument Company, Yellow Springs, Ohio.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on May 27, 2015
Amount Ingredient gm./Kg. Yellow corn 638 Soybean meal (49% protein) 180 Fish meal 100 Coastal bermudagrass 20 Dried whey 20 Fat 10 Limestone 5 Defluorinated rock phosphate 10 NaCl 2 Vitamin and mineral premix1 15 •Supplies, per Kg. of finished ration: Vit. A, 4000 I.U.; Vit. D 3 , 900 I.C.U.; Vit. B 12 , 3.0 p.g.; Folic acid, 0.9 mg.; Vit. K, 0.7 mg.; Biotin, 0.9 mg.; Choline, 1.9 gm.; Niacin, 70 mg.; Vit. E, 50 mg.; Mn S 0 4 , 55 mg.; Zinc Oxide, 70 mg.; Riboflavin, 4 mg.; Pantothenic acid, 11 mg.
674
D . E. T U R K AND K. G.
HEITMAN
TABLE 5.—Effect of ingested Aroclor 1242 on respiration of intestinal mucosal cells
FIG. 3. Mitochrondria (arrows) found in the cells of the duodenal mucosa of a chick fed a PCB-free diet for three weeks, x 22,000. and 7 week periods. T h e s e tissues were fixed in 3 % glutaraldhyde—formaldehyde cacodylate fixative, a S-collidine buffered 1.3% O s 0 4 postfixative and e m b e d d e d in E p o n 812. 4 Sections were double stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. Ultrastructural examinations were made in a Hitachi HS-8 electron microscope. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Generalized e d e m a , ternal hemorrhaging, served in both groups containingthe Aroclor FIG. 2. Mitochrondria (arrows) found in the cells of the duodenal mucosa of a chick fed 197 p.p.m. PCB for 3 weeks, x 22,000
labored breathing, inand death were obof chicks fed the diets 1242 contaminated fish
4. Electron Microscopy Sciences. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on May 27, 2015
Tissue and treatment Aroclor Oxygen uptake' H.1. 0 2 / m g . dry tissue/min. 1242 7 wk.2 p.p.m. 3 wk. 2 5 wk.2 Duodenum 0.272 0.175 0.174 0 0.232 0.128 0.226 48 0.204 0.113 0.212 197 Jejunum 0.115 0.140 0.144 0 0.103 0.126 0.134 48 0.113 0.135 0.134 197 Ileum 0.035 0.069 0.074 0 0.054 0.076 0.103 48 0.085 0.063 .0112 197 'Data represents 5 birds for each treatment at each time interval. Mucosal cells were taken from the duodenum, jejunum and ileum of each bird. 2 Period in which the indicated amount of Aroclor 1242 was fed prior to cellular oxygen uptake studies.
PCB,
675
GROWTH, ABSORPTION AND INTESTINE
meal. These symptoms became evident by the third week and became progressively more severe. Growth rates were retarded as shown in Fig. 1 with the growth rate retardation being more severe at the higher level of PCB. Feed consumption was decreased in the PCB fed groups, but the retention of large amounts of water in the tissues as edema increased the body weight of the birds and
resulted in falsely low feed to gain ratios (Table 2). Calcium absorption was increased at 3 weeks of age in both groups fed the PCB but the birds fed 48 p.p.m. Aroclor 1242 were able to maintain a normal calcium absorption rate at 5 and 7 weeks (Table 3). Calcium absorption remained above control levels in the birds fed 197 p.p.m. Aroclor 1242
-.'
V-«f:
y
,
'*%rm
FIG. 4. Swollen rough endoplasmic reticulum (large arrow), dislocated ribosomes (small arrows), and swollen mitochrondria with disrupted cristae found in mucosal cells from the duodenum of a bird fed 197 p.p.m. PCB for 5 weeks, x 16.650.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on May 27, 2015
•
676
D. E. TURK AND K. G. HEITMAN
throughout the 7 weeks of the trial. Zinc absorption was increased in the birds fed Aroclor 1242 throughout the trial (Table 4). Zinc absorption tended to increase markedly as the period of PCB feeding increased. There was no sign that these birds were able to overcome the PCB-induced increased zinc absorption at later time intervals as they had been able to with calcium absorption when the moderate PCB level was fed. This difference in absorption response of these two minerals to PCB feeding may be due to their differing mechanisms of absorption and differences in the area of intestinal tract where
they are absorbed (Turk, 1974). The increases in absorption rates of the minerals may be one of the factors causing the edema which marks PCB intoxication. The presence of large amounts of mineral in the tissues would tend to hold large amounts of water in the tissues as a result of increased tissue osmotic pressures. Oxygen respiration in intestinal mucosal cells was not significantly altered by the PCB feeding (Table 5). Marked differences were observed in cellular respiration rates dependent upon the location in the intestine from which the cells were taken. Cells taken from Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on May 27, 2015
FIG. 5. Fluid accumulation (arrow) between duodenal cell walls of a bird fed the 197 p.p.m. PCB diet for 7 weeks, x 11,775.
PCB.
GROWTH, ABSORPTION AND INTESTINE
the duodenum respired most actively while those from the ileum were least active and jejunal cells were intermediate in respiratory activity. Duodenal tissues from chicks fed 197 p.p.m. Aroclor 1242 showed marked ultrastructural changes by the third week of the
677
trial. The mitochrondria (Fig. 2), though smaller in size than those of the control birds, appeared to have swollen intercristal spaces similar to those discussed by Trump and Ericsson (1965) as occurring during development of necrosis in rat kidney proximal tubules. Mitochrondria from the Aroclor 1242
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on May 27, 2015
FIG. 6. Necrotic bodies (arrows) in the proximal tubule cells of a chick fed the 197 p.p.m. PCB diet for 7 weeks, x 12.200.
678
D. E. TURK AND K. G. HEITMAN
The ultrastructural appearance tended to support the suggestion given earlier that the edema observed in PCB fed birds was due to alterations in the absorption of nutrients rather than to interference with kidney excretion. The finding of limited changes in the kidneys, however, does not rule out the possibility that kidney failure may be partially responsible for the symptoms observed in the PCB fed birds. REFERENCES Flick, D. F., R. G. O'Dell and V. A. Childs, 1965. Studies of the chick edema disease. 3. Similarity of symptoms produced by feeding chlorinated biphenyl. Poultry Sci. 44: 1660-1665. Greene, W. B., E. M. Walker, G. R. Hennigar, R. H. Gadsden and G. R. Gale, 1972. The synergistic effect of polychlorinated biphenyl and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane compounds on mouse liver cells. Bull. South Carolina Acad. Sci. 34: 65. Rehfeld, B. M., R. L. Bradley, Jr. and M. L. Sunde, 1971. Toxicity studies on polychlorinated biphenyls in the chick. 2. Biochemical effects and accumulations. Poultry Sci. 51: 488-493. Trump. B. F., and J. L. E. Ericsson, 1965. Some ultrastructural and biochemical consequences of cell injury. In: The Inflamatory Process. Eds. B. W. Zweifack, L. Grant, and R. T. McClusky. Academic Press, New York, N.Y. Turk,D. E., 1973. Calcium absorption during coccidial infections in chicks. Poultry Sci. 53: 854-857. Turk, D. E., 1974. Intestinal parasitism and nutrient absorption. Fed Proc. 33: 101-111. Turk, D. E., and J. F. Stephens, 1966. Effect of intestinal damage produced by Eimeria necatrix infections in chicks upon absorption to orally administered zinc-65. J. Nutr. 88: 261-266.
NEWS AND NOTES (Continued from page 668) Turkey Breeding Farms, Inc., Sonoma, California; Harry W. Hays, Staff Scientist, Marketing, Nutrition, and Engineering, Agricultural Research Service, U.S.D.A., Beltsville, Maryland; W. M. Hill, Food
Microbiologist, Armour Foods, Oakbrook, Illinois; Margaret Huston, Scientific Director, Poultry and Egg Institute of America, Chicago, Illinois; Edward T. Mallinson, Chief, Poultry Health Division, Bureau of
(Continued on page 699)
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on May 27, 2015
fed birds appeared stretched or extended (Fig. 2) as compared to the round or oval mitochrondria appearing in birds fed a PCB free diet (Fig. 3). Smooth endoplasmic reticula and cytoplasmic ground substance appeared sparce in cells from PCB fed birds. By the fifth week of PCB feeding, the rough endoplasmic reticula were dilated and filled with a flocculent substance (Fig. 4) with subsequent ribosomal dislocation. The mitochrondria were enlarged, swollen, contained a flocculent material, and exhibited a pale matrix with shortened and disrupted cristae. By the seventh week of PCB feeding, edema was shown by the accumulation of extracellular fluid between the duodenal cells of birds receiving 197 p.p.m. of Aroclor 1242 (Fig. 5). Increased numbers of lipid deposits were found near the basement membrane of the lamina propria from the duodenum of these birds. Lipid accumulations were also found between the principal cells in the duodenal villi. Mitochrondrial and other cellular aberrations were seen at 3 and 5 weeks. Ultrastructural changes in the kidneys of Aroclor 1242 fed birds were not as marked as those found in the intestine. Large numbers of necrotic figures (Fig. 6) were found in the proximal tubule area of birds fed the PCB containing diets, but not in those fed the PCB-free diet. The other abnormalities previously described in cells from the intestine were occasionally seen in the kidneys from PCB fed birds but their rate of occurrence was low.
E. TURK AND K.
G.
HIETMAN
Food Science Department, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29631 (Received for publication June 30, 1975)
ABSTRACT Decreased growth, edema, labored breathing, internal hemorrhaging, and high mortality were seen in chicks fed 48 or 197 p.p.m. Aroclor 1242 for 7 weeks. Calcium absorption was increased when birds were fed 197 p.p.m. PCB while zinc absorption was increased in birds fed both levels of PCB. Duodenal mucosal cell respiration rates were unaffected by either PCB treatment. Upon ultrastructural examination, mitochrondrial alterations, lipid accumulations in the lamina propriae, edema, and swollen endoplasmic reticula were found in duodenal mucosal cells. Necrotic areas were found in the kidney proximal tubule region of PCB fed birds. 1976
INTRODUCTION
PROCEDURE
T
H E polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) h a v e been shown to be toxic to chicks. Toxicity s y m p t o m s , including e d e m a , poor growth, h y d r o p e r i c a r d i u m , labored breathing, and enlarged kidneys have been reported (Flick et al, 1965; Rehfeld et al., 1971). Physiological alterations resulting from P C B intoxication have been discussed by Rehfeld etal. (1971) w h o found decreased hemoglobin levels and packed cell volume in P C B intoxicated chicks. A m o u n t s of calcium and magnesium in the plasma of these birds were normal, h o w e v e r . Greene et al. (1972) found heavy concentrations of smooth endoplasmic reticulum with vesicles containing fat droplets. Much smooth endoplasmic reticulum contained clumps of clear t o slightly d e n s e material interpreted as altered glycogen.
O n e hundred forty mixed sex day-old Single C o m b White Leghorn chicks were randomly distributed into three g r o u p s . Thirty chicks were fed a corn-soybean oil meal-fish meal chick starter (Table 1) free of polychlorinated biphenyls. Fifty chicks were fed a similar ration in which part of the fish meal 2 used w a s contaminated with Aroclor 1242. This ration contained 48 p . p . m . of P C B . Sixty chicks were fed a similar ration in which all of the f i s h - m e a l 2 was contaminated with Aroclor 1242 resulting in a ration containing 197 p . p . m . of P C B . All birds were housed in electrically heated wire floored batteries with ad libitum access to the experimental rations and tap water. Feed consumption and individual b o d y weights were m e a s u r e d at weekly intervals.
T h e present study was initiated to determine the effects of toxic a m o u n t s of the P C B Aroclor 1242® in the digestive tract and kidneys of chicks.
At 3 , 5, and 7 w e e k s calcium absorption and zinc absorption were measured by the method of T u r k (1973) and Turk and Stephens 2. PCB contaminated fish meal used in this experiment was obtained from East Coast Terminal, Inc., Wilmington, North Carolina and contained approximately 1600 p.p.m. of Aroclor 1242 produced by Monsanto Chemical Company, East St. Louis, Missouri.
1. Published with the approval of the Director of the South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station as Technical Contribution Number 1277. 672
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on May 27, 2015
POULTRY SCIENCE 55: 672-678,
673
P C B , GROWTH, ABSORPTION AND INTESTINE
TABLE 3.—Effect of dietary Aroclor 1242 on calcium absorption in chicks
TABLE 1.—Composition of diets used
600
500 48 ppm PCB 197 ppm PCB
"7
/ / , ' s*
XX X s X s X * X ' ••' X * .•* X * .* X * •*
300
en
y*
200
X* ••*
£
IOO
C-
i 1 1 1 2 3 Aqe (weeks)
I
I
I
FIG. 1. Effect of ingested polychlorinated biphenyl (Aroclor 1242) on chick growth from 1 day of age to 6 weeks of age. TABLE 2.—Effect of dietary Aroclor 1242 on feed efficiency of chicks 0-5 weeks of age Treatment Aroclor 1242 p.p.m. 0 48 197
Feed/gain gm./gm. 2.58 2.08 2.19
TABLE 4.—Effect of dietary Aroclor 1242 on zinc absorption in chicks Treatment Aroclor 1242 p.p.m.
AVERAGE WEIGHT GAINS
*+00
Treatment Cal cium absorption 1 Aroclor % of control 1242 5 wk. 2 7 wk. 2 3 wk. 2 p.p.m. 100 100 100 0 98 86 142 48 129 154* 174* 197 'Amount of Ca-45 appearing in the blood stream of five Aroclor 1242 fed birds following an oral dose of 10 jjiCi. Ca-45 divided by that appearing in the blood stream of five control birds, multiplied by 100. 2 Period of time the indicated amount of Aroclor 1242 was fed before the calcium absorption determination was made. *Significantly (P < .05) different from Aroclor free diet.
0 48 197
Zinc absorption' % of control 3 wk. 5 wk. 2 7 wk. : 2
100 129 163**
100 211* 131
100 233** 250**
'Amount of 65Zn appearing in the blood stream of five Aroclor 1242 fed birds following an oral dose of 50 |xCi. 65 Zn divided by that appearing in the blood stream of five control birds, multiplied by 100. 2 Period of time the indicated amount of Aroclor 1242 was fed before zinc absorption was measured. "Highly significantly (P < 0.01) different from the Aroclor free diets. (1966). Five birds were selected r a n d o m l y from each treatment for the m e a s u r e m e n t of the absorption of each mineral. Following the m e a s u r e m e n t of mineral absorption, these birds were sacrificed and the rate of oxygen c o n s u m p t i o n of the intestinal mucosal cells was determined with a Clark electrode. 3 Intestinal and kidney tissues were r e m o v e d from 3 of the control b i r d s , 2 of t h e 48 p . p . m . P C B fed birds, and 2 of the 197 p . p . m . P C B fed birds at the end of each of the 3 , 5,
3. Biological Oxygen Monitor, Yellow Spring Instrument Company, Yellow Springs, Ohio.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on May 27, 2015
Amount Ingredient gm./Kg. Yellow corn 638 Soybean meal (49% protein) 180 Fish meal 100 Coastal bermudagrass 20 Dried whey 20 Fat 10 Limestone 5 Defluorinated rock phosphate 10 NaCl 2 Vitamin and mineral premix1 15 •Supplies, per Kg. of finished ration: Vit. A, 4000 I.U.; Vit. D 3 , 900 I.C.U.; Vit. B 12 , 3.0 p.g.; Folic acid, 0.9 mg.; Vit. K, 0.7 mg.; Biotin, 0.9 mg.; Choline, 1.9 gm.; Niacin, 70 mg.; Vit. E, 50 mg.; Mn S 0 4 , 55 mg.; Zinc Oxide, 70 mg.; Riboflavin, 4 mg.; Pantothenic acid, 11 mg.
674
D . E. T U R K AND K. G.
HEITMAN
TABLE 5.—Effect of ingested Aroclor 1242 on respiration of intestinal mucosal cells
FIG. 3. Mitochrondria (arrows) found in the cells of the duodenal mucosa of a chick fed a PCB-free diet for three weeks, x 22,000. and 7 week periods. T h e s e tissues were fixed in 3 % glutaraldhyde—formaldehyde cacodylate fixative, a S-collidine buffered 1.3% O s 0 4 postfixative and e m b e d d e d in E p o n 812. 4 Sections were double stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. Ultrastructural examinations were made in a Hitachi HS-8 electron microscope. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Generalized e d e m a , ternal hemorrhaging, served in both groups containingthe Aroclor FIG. 2. Mitochrondria (arrows) found in the cells of the duodenal mucosa of a chick fed 197 p.p.m. PCB for 3 weeks, x 22,000
labored breathing, inand death were obof chicks fed the diets 1242 contaminated fish
4. Electron Microscopy Sciences. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on May 27, 2015
Tissue and treatment Aroclor Oxygen uptake' H.1. 0 2 / m g . dry tissue/min. 1242 7 wk.2 p.p.m. 3 wk. 2 5 wk.2 Duodenum 0.272 0.175 0.174 0 0.232 0.128 0.226 48 0.204 0.113 0.212 197 Jejunum 0.115 0.140 0.144 0 0.103 0.126 0.134 48 0.113 0.135 0.134 197 Ileum 0.035 0.069 0.074 0 0.054 0.076 0.103 48 0.085 0.063 .0112 197 'Data represents 5 birds for each treatment at each time interval. Mucosal cells were taken from the duodenum, jejunum and ileum of each bird. 2 Period in which the indicated amount of Aroclor 1242 was fed prior to cellular oxygen uptake studies.
PCB,
675
GROWTH, ABSORPTION AND INTESTINE
meal. These symptoms became evident by the third week and became progressively more severe. Growth rates were retarded as shown in Fig. 1 with the growth rate retardation being more severe at the higher level of PCB. Feed consumption was decreased in the PCB fed groups, but the retention of large amounts of water in the tissues as edema increased the body weight of the birds and
resulted in falsely low feed to gain ratios (Table 2). Calcium absorption was increased at 3 weeks of age in both groups fed the PCB but the birds fed 48 p.p.m. Aroclor 1242 were able to maintain a normal calcium absorption rate at 5 and 7 weeks (Table 3). Calcium absorption remained above control levels in the birds fed 197 p.p.m. Aroclor 1242
-.'
V-«f:
y
,
'*%rm
FIG. 4. Swollen rough endoplasmic reticulum (large arrow), dislocated ribosomes (small arrows), and swollen mitochrondria with disrupted cristae found in mucosal cells from the duodenum of a bird fed 197 p.p.m. PCB for 5 weeks, x 16.650.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on May 27, 2015
•
676
D. E. TURK AND K. G. HEITMAN
throughout the 7 weeks of the trial. Zinc absorption was increased in the birds fed Aroclor 1242 throughout the trial (Table 4). Zinc absorption tended to increase markedly as the period of PCB feeding increased. There was no sign that these birds were able to overcome the PCB-induced increased zinc absorption at later time intervals as they had been able to with calcium absorption when the moderate PCB level was fed. This difference in absorption response of these two minerals to PCB feeding may be due to their differing mechanisms of absorption and differences in the area of intestinal tract where
they are absorbed (Turk, 1974). The increases in absorption rates of the minerals may be one of the factors causing the edema which marks PCB intoxication. The presence of large amounts of mineral in the tissues would tend to hold large amounts of water in the tissues as a result of increased tissue osmotic pressures. Oxygen respiration in intestinal mucosal cells was not significantly altered by the PCB feeding (Table 5). Marked differences were observed in cellular respiration rates dependent upon the location in the intestine from which the cells were taken. Cells taken from Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on May 27, 2015
FIG. 5. Fluid accumulation (arrow) between duodenal cell walls of a bird fed the 197 p.p.m. PCB diet for 7 weeks, x 11,775.
PCB.
GROWTH, ABSORPTION AND INTESTINE
the duodenum respired most actively while those from the ileum were least active and jejunal cells were intermediate in respiratory activity. Duodenal tissues from chicks fed 197 p.p.m. Aroclor 1242 showed marked ultrastructural changes by the third week of the
677
trial. The mitochrondria (Fig. 2), though smaller in size than those of the control birds, appeared to have swollen intercristal spaces similar to those discussed by Trump and Ericsson (1965) as occurring during development of necrosis in rat kidney proximal tubules. Mitochrondria from the Aroclor 1242
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on May 27, 2015
FIG. 6. Necrotic bodies (arrows) in the proximal tubule cells of a chick fed the 197 p.p.m. PCB diet for 7 weeks, x 12.200.
678
D. E. TURK AND K. G. HEITMAN
The ultrastructural appearance tended to support the suggestion given earlier that the edema observed in PCB fed birds was due to alterations in the absorption of nutrients rather than to interference with kidney excretion. The finding of limited changes in the kidneys, however, does not rule out the possibility that kidney failure may be partially responsible for the symptoms observed in the PCB fed birds. REFERENCES Flick, D. F., R. G. O'Dell and V. A. Childs, 1965. Studies of the chick edema disease. 3. Similarity of symptoms produced by feeding chlorinated biphenyl. Poultry Sci. 44: 1660-1665. Greene, W. B., E. M. Walker, G. R. Hennigar, R. H. Gadsden and G. R. Gale, 1972. The synergistic effect of polychlorinated biphenyl and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane compounds on mouse liver cells. Bull. South Carolina Acad. Sci. 34: 65. Rehfeld, B. M., R. L. Bradley, Jr. and M. L. Sunde, 1971. Toxicity studies on polychlorinated biphenyls in the chick. 2. Biochemical effects and accumulations. Poultry Sci. 51: 488-493. Trump. B. F., and J. L. E. Ericsson, 1965. Some ultrastructural and biochemical consequences of cell injury. In: The Inflamatory Process. Eds. B. W. Zweifack, L. Grant, and R. T. McClusky. Academic Press, New York, N.Y. Turk,D. E., 1973. Calcium absorption during coccidial infections in chicks. Poultry Sci. 53: 854-857. Turk, D. E., 1974. Intestinal parasitism and nutrient absorption. Fed Proc. 33: 101-111. Turk, D. E., and J. F. Stephens, 1966. Effect of intestinal damage produced by Eimeria necatrix infections in chicks upon absorption to orally administered zinc-65. J. Nutr. 88: 261-266.
NEWS AND NOTES (Continued from page 668) Turkey Breeding Farms, Inc., Sonoma, California; Harry W. Hays, Staff Scientist, Marketing, Nutrition, and Engineering, Agricultural Research Service, U.S.D.A., Beltsville, Maryland; W. M. Hill, Food
Microbiologist, Armour Foods, Oakbrook, Illinois; Margaret Huston, Scientific Director, Poultry and Egg Institute of America, Chicago, Illinois; Edward T. Mallinson, Chief, Poultry Health Division, Bureau of
(Continued on page 699)
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on May 27, 2015
fed birds appeared stretched or extended (Fig. 2) as compared to the round or oval mitochrondria appearing in birds fed a PCB free diet (Fig. 3). Smooth endoplasmic reticula and cytoplasmic ground substance appeared sparce in cells from PCB fed birds. By the fifth week of PCB feeding, the rough endoplasmic reticula were dilated and filled with a flocculent substance (Fig. 4) with subsequent ribosomal dislocation. The mitochrondria were enlarged, swollen, contained a flocculent material, and exhibited a pale matrix with shortened and disrupted cristae. By the seventh week of PCB feeding, edema was shown by the accumulation of extracellular fluid between the duodenal cells of birds receiving 197 p.p.m. of Aroclor 1242 (Fig. 5). Increased numbers of lipid deposits were found near the basement membrane of the lamina propria from the duodenum of these birds. Lipid accumulations were also found between the principal cells in the duodenal villi. Mitochrondrial and other cellular aberrations were seen at 3 and 5 weeks. Ultrastructural changes in the kidneys of Aroclor 1242 fed birds were not as marked as those found in the intestine. Large numbers of necrotic figures (Fig. 6) were found in the proximal tubule area of birds fed the PCB containing diets, but not in those fed the PCB-free diet. The other abnormalities previously described in cells from the intestine were occasionally seen in the kidneys from PCB fed birds but their rate of occurrence was low.