Abstract
Pyruvate oxidation was low in liver slices of the rat with experimental CCl_4 poisoning. This activity was restored, significantly by in vivo treatment with thioctic acid. Similar results were obtained with mitochondria of liver cells. In vitro experiments, thioctic acid increased significantly the diminished pyruvate oxidation of liver slices of poisoned rats as was the case with cocarboxylase or coenzyme A, while the increase was very slight in normal liver slices. In both acute and chronic CCl_4 poisoning rats the thioctic acid contents of liver mitochondria were lower compared with those in normal animals.
