Cholestyramine enhances fecal elimination of pentachlorophenol in rhesus monkeys

The effect of cholestyramine in the daily diet upon the excretion of pentachlorophenol with the feces was studied in the rhesus monkey. The treatment increased fecal elimination of pentachlorophenol and/or metabolites up to 9- to 14-fold over a six-day period. At the same time urinary excretion was reduced 2- to 6-fold. The data suggest that cholestyramine interrupts the enterhepatic circulation of PCP and/or metabolites thus indicating its possible usefulness in preventing toxicity of PCP that otherwise may occur due to reabsorption of biliary PCP and/or metabolites.