title: Dietary exposure of mink (Mustela vison) to fish from the upper Hudson River, New York, USA: effects on organ mass and pathology.
abstract: The authors evaluated effects of feeding ranch mink (Mustela vison) diets containing polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated fish from the upper Hudson River (New York, USA) on adult and offspring organ mass and pathology. Diets contained 2.5 to 20% Hudson River fish, providing 0.72 to 6.1 µg ΣPCBs/g feed (4.8-38 pg toxic equivalents [TEQWHO 2005 ]/g feed). Absolute thyroid and adrenal gland masses were increased in adult females and 31-week-old juveniles, respectively, and absolute liver and heart masses were decreased in six-week-old kits exposed to dietary PCBs. Dietary concentrations of 0.72 µg ΣPCBs/g feed (4.8 pg TEQWHO 2005 /g feed) and greater induced mandibular and maxillary squamous epithelial proliferation in adult animals. The dietary concentration of ΣPCBs predicted to result in 20% incidence of the jaw lesion (EC20) was 2.3 µg ΣPCBs/g feed (15 pg TEQWHO 2005 /g feed), and the hepatic concentration was 2.8 µg ΣPCBs/g liver (89 pg TEQWHO 2005 /g liver). The EC20 values were greater than the dietary and hepatic concentrations predicted to result in a 20% increase in kit mortality (LC20) at six weeks of age (0.34 µg ΣPCBs/g feed or 2.6 pg TEQWHO 2005 /g feed and 0.80 µg ΣPCBs/g liver or 13 pg TEQWHO 2005 /g liver). However, the EC20 values reflect exposure of adults to PCBs for approximately six months, and the LC20 values reflect exposure of offspring from conception onward.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA. bursian@msu.edu
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bursian
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kern
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Remington
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Link
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008437:Maxilla / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008907:Mink / Q000502:physiology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009518:New York; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls