Studies on the sensitivity of the LEC rat liver to four hepatotoxins

Abstract

We reported that spontaneous hepatitis (hepatic injury) occurred in LEC rats at around 4 months after birth. In this study, sensitivities of 8-week-old LEC rats to the four hepatotoxins (Dgalactosamine, diethylnitrosamine, carbon tetrachloride and allyl alcohol) were investigated biochemically and histopathologically in comparison with age-matched LEA rats. LEC rats showed a higher sensitivity to D-galactosamine than LEA rats, and the hepatic injury appeared to delay in LEC rats than in LEA rats. Since serum endotoxin levels in LEC rats were higher than those of LEA rats after D-galactosamine treatment, endotoxin may participate in the high sensitivity of the LEC rat liver to D-galactosamine. Serum GPT was slightly higher in LEC rats than LEA rats after injection of diethylnitrosamine, but there were no histopathological differences in livers of the two strains. Liver damages of the LEC rats by carbon tetrachrolide and allyl alcohol were less remarkable than LEA rats, which is probably due to the reductions of drug metabolizing enzyme activity in the LEC rat liver.