Immunological, hematological, and biochemical responses in immature white-footed mice following maternal aroclor 1254 exposure: A possible bioindicator

A number of hematological, immunological, and biochemical parameters were m easured in Peromyscus leucopus pups born from dams exposed to a single dose (300 mg/kg body weight) of Aroclor 1254. To increase the chances of uncove ring even modest consequences of the exposure, in one protocol the pups wer e weaned at 3 weeks and examined at 6 weeks of age, while in a second proto col the pups were kept with their mother for 4 weeks, at which time they we re examined. The older pups showed significant decreases in body weight, ra tio of spleen weight to body weight, numbers of peripheral white blood cell s and lymphocytes, and number and percentage of monocytes. They also showed significant increases in the stimulation index in response to the mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA), percentage of peripheral blood neutrophils and li ver EROD induction. Pups sacrificed at 4 weeks of age showed even more sign ificant differences. Their body and liver weights, percentage and number of peripheral blood lymphocytes, and serum antibody titers were significantly lower than those of their controls, while spleen to body weight ratios, pe rcent of neutrophils in their peripheral blood, and liver EROD, PROD, and B ROD levels were significantly higher than those of the controls. The primar y implication of this work is that white-footed mouse pups could be used as biomonitors of contaminated sites. Females could be captured at the sites and bred in captivity with normal males. The vulnerable parameters identifi ed in this study could then be measured in the resulting offspring and comp ared with a database collected from normal pups.