Lipid peroxidation and cell damage in isolated hepatocytes due to bromotrichloromethane

Small amounts of malondialdehyde (MDA, about 0.5 nmol/10⁶ cells) were produced during 120-min incubation of isolated rat hepatocytes indicating lipid peroxidation in the cells. Trypan blue uptake and lactate dehydrogenase release followed MDA formation. MDA increased to about 3.5 nmol/10⁶ cells in the presence of 2 mm bromotrichloromethane (CBrCl₃). A parallelism of MDA production with trypan blue uptake and lactate dehydrogenase release was observed. The MDA production depended on the CBrCl₃ concentration in the incubation medium. A higher oxygen consumption of cells incubated in the presence of CBrCl₃ was detectable compared to controls. During incubation no increase in glutamate dehydrogenase release could be observed, even if 2 mm CBrCl₃ was present. This led us to conclude that lipid peroxidation induced by CBrCl₃ destroys the plasma membrane of the hepatocytes without seriously damaging mitochondria.