Organohalogen concentrations and a gross and histologic ...

Table 8
Levels of ∑-PCBs, ∑-DDTs, PCB-126 and PBBs linked to renal lesions (glomerulopathy, tubular cell proliferations and interstitial
damage) in wildlife, humans and laboratory mammals (polar bear levels in the present study at the very right). Data from: Bergman et
al. 2001 1 , Blomkvist et al. 1992 2 , Sonne-Hansen et al. (2002) 3 , Riget et al. (Unpubl. data) 4 , Bruckner et al. (1974b) 5 , Riget et al. (In
press) 6 , Koponen et al. (2001) 7 , Grinwis et al. (2001) 8 , Johansen et al. (2004) 9 , Cormack et al. (1978) 10 .
Study Compound n Concentration Concentration in adipose tissue (a)
and food (f) of polar bears in the
present study
Wildlife:
Grey seal 1
Grey seal 1
Ringed seal 1
Ringed seal 1
Ringed seal 3
Ringed seal 3
Laboratory animals:
Rats 5
Bream; flounder 7
Flounder 8
Pups and rats 9
46
∑-DDTs 38 11-1600 µg/g l.w. (blubber) 1,2
∑-PCBs 37 49-5300 µg/g l.w. (blubber) 1,2
∑-DDTs 17 4-820 µg/g l.w. (blubber) 1,2
∑-PCBs 17 8-770 µg/g l.w. (blubber) 1,2
∑-DDTs 27 0.1-3 µg/g w.w. (blubber) 4
∑-PCBs 27 0.1-4 µg/g w.w. (blubber) 4
0.7-1 µg/g l.w. (a)
0.9-20 µg/g l.w. (a)
0.7-1 µg/g l.w. (a)
0.9-20 µg/g l.w. (a)
0.7-1 µg/g l.w. (a)
0.9-20 µg/g l.w. (a)
∑-PCBs ? 0-33 mg/kg body wgt./day (i.p.) 0.02 mg/kg body wgt./day (f) 4,6
∑-PCBs 50 ? 0.9-20 µg/g l.w. (a)
PCB-126 ? 0-3 µg/g b.w./day (food) 0.000001 µg/g b.w./day (f) 4,6,9
PBBs 30 100 µg/g (food) 0.02-0.2 µg/g l.w. (a)
Occupational health investigations of human chronic exposure to organic
solvents (hydrocarbons) in industry workers have showed similar glomerular
changes (glomerulonephritis) as we found in the polar bears (Zimmerman
et al. 1975). Beirne and Brennan (1972) – who also associated organic
solvents with chronic nephritis in humans - proposed that the complex was
of autoimmune origin due to chronic base membrane injury to kidney
and/or lung epithelium. This could theoretically be some of the same
mechanisms involved in the aetiology and pathogenesis of the renal lesions
in the present East Greenland polar bears.
Investigations of bream fish (Abramis brama) and asp (Aspius aspius) from
PCB-polluted freshwater lakes showed changes in the renal corpuscle in
both species (Koponen et al. 2001). They associated exposure to PCBs with
kidney lesions: dilation of the glomeruli (capillaries), mesangial edema
(PAS-positive deposits) and adhesion between the visceral and parietal layer
of Bowmann’s capsule. In the present study it was hard to evaluate the degree
of capillary and mesangial dilatation in polar bears, but PAS-positive
deposits in the mesangium/glomerular basemembranes were present. The
changes found in the fish resembled, to some degree, what we found in the
polar bears (Koponen et al. 2001).
Grinwis et al. (2001) investigated the effect of PCB-126 on the European
flounder (Platichthys flesus) on CYP1A induction in laboratory experiments.
The fish were exposed to a single dose orally (0, 500, 5000 or 50000 µg/kg respectively)
and after 16 days the mesonephros - among other tissue - was
investigated immunohistochemically. The results showed that groups exposed
to 50000 µg/kg PCB-126 induced immunoreactivity in the epithelium
of the proximal tubules, as well as in the stationary/circulating mononuclear
cells of the heamatopoietic tissue. In Table 8 the levels are compared to the
polar bears (see Introduction), and although the concentrations were significantly
higher in the fish compared to the bears, it shows that the metabolism
of renal tissue (and mononuclear cells) is affected by the pollutants.