Behavioural toxicodynamics and kinetic profiling of PCB congeners in Swiss Albino mouse dosed with Aroclor 1232 through inhalational route: a pivotal risk assessment study

Polychlorinated Biphenyls pose hazards to humans as environmental and occupational workplace pollutants, despite which, though they are regulated in India, their use is not yet banned.A whole-body inhalational chamber has been utilised to expose mice to different doses of Aroclor 1232 for single 6-h durations. The plasma and brain samples were used to estimate the corresponding congeners of PCBs (PCB 77 and PCB 180) and calculate their pharmacokinetic parameters. These variables were then correlated with mouse behaviour using Irwin scale, and monoamine levels at 4 h, which is the Tmax.A definite dose-dependence of PCB kinetic parameters was identified in plasma and brain. PCB 77 exhibited more accumulation in brain than plasma, whereas PCB 180 accumulated more in plasma than brain. The changes in the mood and miscellaneous domains on the Irwin scale were due to higher brain PCB 77; changes in autonomic functions were due to higher plasma PCB 180 levels. Behaviour scores were statistically significant at Tmax (3-5 h).Generally, DA reduced at Tmax for each dose level; 5-HT increased exponentially as Tmax approached for each dose level; and NA followed U-shaped dose response, the dip being correlated at Cmax.