CORRELATION BETWEEN THE SEVERITY OF ACUTE HEPATIC-NECROSIS INDUCED BYACETAMINOPHEN AND SERUM AMINOTRANSFERASE LEVELS IN FASTED AND SUCROSE-FED RATS

The relationship between serum aminotransferase levels and the acute h epatic necrosis induced by acetaminophen was studied in 24 male Wistar rats (220-265 g). The animals were divided into two groups, one of wh ich was fasted fbr 66 h (group I) while the other was fed only sucrose cubes ad libitum (group II). The animals received 1 g acetaminophen p er kg body weight 42 h after the onset of the experiment. Twenty-four hours later, blood was drawn to measure aspartate aminotransferase (AS T) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and the liver was removed for both macro- and microscopic examination. The intensity of the hep atic necrosis was scored according to the extent of the lesion. The he patic necrosis was more frequent and intense in group I, with the amin otransferase levels being higher in this group (median AST and ALT lev els were 3900 IU/I and 2511 IU/I, respectively, for group I and 119 IU /I and 79 nm, respectively, for group II). There was a positive correl ation (rs) between the intensity of hepatic necrosis assessed microsco pically and the level of AST (group I, rs = 0.83; group II, rs = 0.79) and ALT (group I, rs = 0.58; group II, rs = 0.80). These findings sug gest that aminotransferase levels are a reliable indicator of the degr ee of hepatic necrosis in this model of acetaminophen intoxication.