First studies on the bioconcentration and immunotoxicity of tetrachlorodiarylmethanes in the rat

An immunotoxicity test was conducted by administration of tetanus toxoid to rats fed either with a standard diet or with diets containing tetrachlorodiarylmethanes (TCDAMs), PCBs and hydrocortisone (HY); the serum level of tetanus antitoxin was evaluated using the passive HA technique. The results relative to PCBs do not indicate a reduction of humoral response in the rat for treatment of 200 ppm for ten weeks. For rats treated with TCDAM, the kinetics of Ab response indicates for the primary response a statistically significant reduction compared to the controls in the males treated with 200 ppm and in the males and females treated with 1000 ppm. The amount of the deposits in the fatty tissues is correlated with the doses in the diets.