Effects of clofibrate on hyperlipidemia induced by polychlorinated biphenyls and elimination of polychlorinated biphenyls accumulated in rat tissues

When rats were orally given olive oil for 4 d following the administration of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, KC-400) for 4 d, the amounts PCBs in liver and adipose tissue were 62.16 and 931.6 μg/g tissue, respectively, while when rats were orally given clofibrate (CPIB) dissolved in olive oil instead of olive oil alone for 4 d following the administration of PCBs for 4 d, the amounts of PCBs in liver adipose tissue were effectively decreased to 33.70 and 448.8 μg/g tissue, respectively. In addition, when, after oral administration of PCBs for 4 d, rats were maintained by feeding a commercial diet for 14 d and then were orally given olive oil for 4 d, the amounts of PCBs in liver and adipose tissue were 7.70 and 201.4 μg/g tissue, respectively. However, when rats were orally given CPIB dissolved in olive oil instead of olive oil alone for 4 d in the same experimental system, the amount of PCBs (119.8 μg/g tissue) in adipose tissue was remarkably decreased, but that (8.10 μg/g tissue) in liver was unchanged. Further, the increased triglyceride and cholesterol contents in liver and serum of rats that had ingested PCBs were also decreased to the control levels or less by the administration of CPIB.These results suggest that the residual PCBs in the animal body can be effectively eliminated by CPIB treatment and also that hyperlipidemia and fatty liver induced by PCBs can be normalized by CPIB treatment.