Mechanism of Protection Against Carbon Tetrachloride Toxicity. I. Prevention of Lethal Effects by Partial Surgical Hepatectomy

ABSTRACT

Both partial surgical hepatectomy and a challenge with a small dose of CC₁₄ depress the metabolism of xenobiotics in the liver. Infact, hepatocytes become provided with metabolic activity rdtes which are peculiar of either embryo or newborn rat lver.

These experiments have shown that partial surgical hepatectomy prevents rats from death caused by otherwise lethal doses of CC₁₄. At the same time, sham-operated animals survive to a limited ex= tent after a large dose of the halogenocompound.

Investigations carried out on the metabolic efficiency of liver microsomes, both in vitro and in vivo, clearly demonstrate that the preventive effect against CC₁₄ depends mainly on the impaired metabolic activity of endoplasmic reticulum.