Examination of the Rat Model of Liver Injury via Thioacetamide (TAA) or Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl₄)

抄録

In the present study, a suitable rat model for testing the modifying effect of liver injury on the rat male organ toxicity of endocrine disrupters was researched using thioacetamide (TAA) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) as liver toxicants. Male 8-week-old F344 rats were divided into six groups as follows. Animals in groups 1 and 2 were given 200 and 100 mg/kg body weight of TAA with PBS by intraperitoneal injection (ip.) 3 times a week for 4 weeks, respectively. Group 3 was given PBS only. Animals in groups 4 and 5 were given 2 and 1 mg/kg body weight of CCl₄ with corn oil by subcutaneous injection (sc.) once a week, for 4 weeks, respectively. Group 6 was given corn oil only. Three rats from each group were sacrificed at week 4 and the rest of groups 1 and 4 were sacrificed after a further 4 weeks of withdrawal period. In the animals administered 200 mg/kg of TAA the findings of apparent liver damage on both histopathological and biochemistrical examinations could be seen: fibrosis, enlargement of Glisson's sheath and infiltration of inflammatory cells in the liver, and apparent elevation of serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels. On the other hand, in the animals administered 2 mg/kg of CCl₄ only the histopathological findings of liver damages could be seen: fatty and inflammatory changes in liver. In the animals administered 100 mg/kg of TAA or 1 mg/kg body weight of CCl₄ only the histopathological findings of slight inflammatory changes in their liver samples. However these findings of liver damage were almost completely absent after the 4-week withdrawal period.