REGRESSION OF MORPHOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS AND OXIDATIVE STRESS-RELATED PARAMETERS AFTER ACUTE LINDANE-INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN RATS

Changes in rat liver oxidative stress-related parameters, morphologica l alterations, as well as circulating and tissue levels of lindane wer e studied 1-7 days after the administration of a single dose of 60 mg of lindane/kg. One day after lindane treatment, a significant enhancem ent in the oxidative stress status of the liver was observed, characte rized by an increase in thiobarbituric acid reactants production and i n the microsomal generation of super-oxide radical (O-2(.-)) coupled t o cytochrome P450 induction, and a decrement in the activity of supero xide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. Consequently, the O-2(.-) productio n/SOD activity ratio was enhanced two-fold. In this condition, light m icroscopy studies revealed the incidence of liver lesions in periporta l areas, together with significant changes at the mitochondrial level observed by electron microscopy, which coincide with the maximal level s of lindane in the liver, adipose tissue, plasma and whole blood. Cha nges in oxidative stress-related parameters observed after 1 day of li ndane treatment regressed to normal from the third day and thereafter, together with the decrement in circulating and tissue levels of the i nsecticide. It is concluded that morphological and oxidative stress-re lated changes induced in the liver by acute lindane intoxication are r eadily reversible, depend on the hepatic content of the insecticide, a nd seem to be conditioned by the changes in O-2(.-) generation. (C) 19 97 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.