Effects of chlorinated paraffins on rat liver microsomal activities and morphology. Importance of the length and the degree of chlorination of the carbon chain.

Short term effects of chlorinated paraffins with different length of the carbon chain and different degree of chlorination were investigated with respect to rat liver cytochrome P-450 mediated metabolism and liver cell morphology. When paraffins were administered by i.p. injection liver weights increased inversely with the length of the carbon chain. The short carbon chain paraffins with a high degree of chlorination increased the concentration of liver microsomal cytochrome P-450, inhibited the metabolism of 7-ethoxyresorufin but increased the metabolism of benzo(a)pyrene, especially the formation of the 4,5-diol metabolite. Short carbon chain paraffins gave rise to a proliferation of the smooth ER, increased the number of cytoplasmic fat droplets as well as the number and size of mitochondria and peroxisomes and finally induced the occurrence of autophagosomes and lysosomes. The fat droplets were preferentially degraded in lysosomes. In all respects the long carbon chain paraffins were less biologically active.