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INDUSTRIAL HEALTH 1991,29,57-64
Mechanisms of PCBs Mixture Toxicity
on Isolated Rat Hepatocytes
Luigi ATZORI, Costantino FLORE*, Anna Maria CORRIGA,
Paolo CHERCHI*, Duilio CASULA*, and Luigi CONGIU
Istituto Patologia General,
Universita degli Studi, Via Porcell 4,09100 Cagliari, Italy
* Istituto di Medicina del Lavoro, Universita degli Studi
Via S. Giorgio, 09100 Cagliari, Italy
(Received July 9, 1990 and in revised form February 4, 1991)
Abstract: Exposure of isolatecd hepatocytes to a polychlorinated biphenyl mixture induced a rapid loss of cell viability. The effect was not dose-dependent. The biochemical effects in the cellular toxicity did not involve glutathione content, protein sulfhydryl groups and lipid peroxidation. A transient increase in cytosolic Ca2+ was observed after exposing the hepatocytes to the polychlorinated biphenyl mixture. Our findings indicate that polychlorinated biphenyls are able to kill hepatocytes and suggest that elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration could be responsable of the toxicity.
Key words: Polychlorinated biphenyls mixture-Hepatotoxicity
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