Evaluation of the toxic risk of accumulated DDT in the rat: during fat mobilization.

The effects of greatly reduced food intake were investigated in rats which had accumulated three times as much DDT as rats killed with a single dose approaching LD50. DDT and its metabolites mobilized more quickly than the fat deposits. The hypertrophy of the liver due to DDT decreased during food restriction and demonstrated the existence of a large detoxication capacity shown through the high metabolism of the pesticide. The disappearance of p,p' DDE was most rapid, followed by p,p' DDD then p,p' DDT; they did not accumulate in the fat reserves. The half-life of the pesticide, which is normally three months in the rat, was reduced to five days under the experimental conditions. In spite of rapid mobilization, no major toxic signs were detected from either nutritional, physiopathological, or biochemical examinations.