K. Irita et al., THE EFFECTS OF DICHLOROACETATE ON LIVER-DAMAGE AND CIRCULATING FUELS IN RATS EXPOSED TO CARBON-TETRACHLORIDE, Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology, 9(1), 1994, pp. 26-29
It has been known that carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in st
arved rats is ameliorated simply by restoration of feeding. An analogu
e of dichloroacetate has been reported to ameliorate carbon tetrachlor
ide-induced liver damage, and dichloroacetate has been shown to have a
variety of effects on fuel metabolism. We investigated simultaneously
the effects of dichloroacetate on liver damage and on circulating fue
ls in rats exposed to carbon tetrachloride. The effects of carbon tetr
achloride varied with the rat's condition. In starved rats, the liver
damage was more severe, and serum ketone body concentration decreased.
In non-starved rats, the liver damage was not as severe and the serum
ketone body concentration increased. The administration of dichloroac
etate ameliorated liver damage both in starved and in non-starved rats
given carbon tetrachloride: the administration of dichloroacetate pro
tected from the liver damage particularly in starved rats. There were
associated changes in the concentrations of circulating fuels. When th
e pyruvate-lowering effect of dichloroacetate was diminished in carbon
tetrachloride-injected, starved rats, the alanine aminotransferase-lo
wering effect of dichloroacetate was also diminished. We propose that
dichloroacetate's effect on fuel metabolism may produce a hepato-prote
ctive effect.