Effect of polybrominated biphenyls on bromobenzene lethality in mice.

Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) are inducers of hepatic microsomal cytochrome P450 and P1 450 in rats and mice. The purpose of this study was to determine, in mice, the effect of PBBs on the lethality of the hepatotoxin bromobenzene. Female NMRI mice were administered a single ip injection of 150 mg/kg PBBs and other mice received phenobarbital (PB), 100 mg/kg daily for 3 days, or 3‐methylcholanthrene (MC), 20 mg/kg daily for 3 days. At 24 hr after PB or MC and 24, 48, and 96 hr after PBBs animals received 3,150 mg/kg bromobenzene ip (LD85) and the time to death was recorded. Both PB and MC enhanced bromobenzene lethality and decreased the median time to death (LT50) from 23 hr in controls …