Sjs. Flora, ALTERATIONS IN SOME HEPATIC BIOCHEMICAL VARIABLES FOLLOWING REPEATED GALLIUM-ARSENIDE ADMINISTRATION IN RATS, HEPATOLOGY RESEARCH, 5(2), 1996, pp. 97-103
Gallium arsenide (GaAs), an intermetallic compound with superior semi-
conductor properties, is finding extensive application in the electron
ic industry. Exposure to airborne particles in the GaAs industry may p
ose potential health hazards to workers. However, very little informat
ion is available so far regarding the possible toxic effects of this c
ompound. The present study was planned to investigate the dose-depende
nt influence of repeated gallium arsenide (GaAs) administration (50, 1
00 or 200 mg/kg, orally through gastric intubation, 5 days a week for
3 weeks) on some biochemical indices in blood and hepatic tissues. The
results indicate a significant dose-dependent inhibition of blood del
ta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity, glutathione and an
elevation in zinc protoporphyrin level. Blood haemoglobin level decre
ased only at the two higher dose levels. The effects of GaAs administr
ation on hepatic biochemical variables indicates only moderate adverse
effects on serum glutamic oxaloacetic (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic tran
saminase (GPT) following exposure at the highest dose (200 mg/kg). GaA
s exposure also lead to a significant inhibition of hepatic ALAD activ
ity, an elevation in MDA formation and alkaline phosphatase activity.
Most of the above alterations occurred at the 200 mg:kg dose. Dose-dep
endent increases in blood and hepatic arsenic concentration were also
noticed. The results confirm our earlier observation that GaAs had a m
arked influence on the haematopoietic system while it has only moderat
e effect on the hepatic organ.