The Effect of Hexachlorophene Upon Intermediary Metabolites, Redox, and Phosphorylation States in Rat Brain

Cammer et al.1 and Caldwell et al.2 have stated that hexachlorophene (2,2-methylenebis [3,4,6-trichlorophenol]) in micromolar concentration either decreases or acts as an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation both in vitro and in vivo in brain and liver mitochondria. We have investigated the effects of 175 micromolar concentration of hexachlorophene per os in 48-hour starved male Wistar rats. The animals were killed 24 hours after ingestion; they exhibited symptoms of distress, i.e., hind-limb paralysis, diarrhea, tachypnea and pelage.