Antibody response and reduction in bursa of Fabricius and spleen weights of progeny of chickens fed PCBs.

In Experiment 1, polychlorinated biphenyls (Aroclors 1016, 1232, 1242, 1248, and 1254) were fed ad libitum to White Leghorn chickens at dietary levels of 5, 10, and 20 p.p.m. for 8 weeks. Hatchability of eggs from hens fed 10 and 20 p.p.m. of Aroclors 1232, 1242, and 1248 was reduced. The weights of the spleen and bursa of Fabricius of day-old chicks from hens fed 10 p.p.m. of Aroclors 1242 and 1248 or 20 p.p.m. of Aroclors 1232, 1242, 1248, and 1254 were less than those of control chicks. Body weights were similar to those of controls at hatching, but the 3 week weight gains of progeny from hens fed 20 p.p.m. Aroclors 1242 and 1248 were less than gains of control progeny. After replacement of the PCB diet with uncontaminated feed, hatchability improved within 2 weeks and by 8 weeks was similar to the hens were fed uncontaminated feed. In Experiment 2, hens were fed 10 p.p.m. 1248 ad libitum for 8 weeks. The progeny bursa weights were reduced, but the treatment did not interfere with interfere with antibody production. PCB treatment had no effect on antibody production after primary or secondary challenges with Brucella abortus. However, after the primary challenge, bursectomized birds of both the control and PCB groups produced significantly fewer antibodies than the nonbursectomized birds. Differential accumulations of the polychlorinated biphenyls occurred in the effs. Chlorinated biphenyls with relative retention times less than that of DDE accumulated to less than one-half of the dietary concentration whereas chlorinated biphenyls with retention times greater than that of DDE accumulated in the eff to a concentration equivalent to the dietary concentration.