A STUDY OF HEPATIC MITOCHONDRIAL RESPIRATION AND MICROSOMAL CYTOCHROME-P-450 CONTENT IN MICE INFECTED WITH THE LIVER FLUKE FASCIOLA-HEPATICA

Previous studies of the effects of infection of Wistar rats with the c ommon liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, on liver bioenergetic and drug m etabolism have demonstrated a loss of respiratory control in isolated mitochondria and reduced microsomal cytochrome P-450 content, respecti vely, from 2 weeks post-infection throughout the acute phase of the in fection. In the present study male Balb/c mice infected with F. hepati ca showed a loss of respiratory control in isolated liver mitochondria only at 4 weeks post-infection. A similar time course was demonstrate d for a reduction in hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 content. Prep arations from infected CBA mice showed similar changes to Balb/c mice but mitochondrial respiration in preparations from infected Swiss outb red mice was normal. A host difference between strains of mice and bet ween mice and rats is therefore evident In the timing and extent of li ver mitochondrial dysfunction and in the timing of the decrease in the cytochrome P-450 content of hepatic microsomes. This difference betwe en hosts may be related to the reported differences in cellular inflam matory responses to the migrating juvenile flukes in the livers of rat s and mice.