CADMIUM HEPATOTOXICITY IN GUINEA-PIGS WITH DIFFERENT ASCORBIC-ACID INTAKE - HISTOMORPHOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL-CHANGES

Histomorphological and biochemical changes in the liver of male guinea pigs with low (2 mg/animal/day) and high (100 mg/animal/day) ascorbic acid (AA) intake intoxicated with cadmium (10 mg Cd/1 liter of drinki ng water) for 12 weeks were studied. Cadmium intoxication caused micro vesicular and macrovesicular steatosis leading to coagulative necrosis . In the group with high AA intake a significant reduction in hepatic injury was observed. Serum enzyme activities reflecting liver damage, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) we re significantly elevated by cadmium, and the increases were more evid ent in guinea pigs with low AA intake. In contrast, serum alkaline pho sphatase (ALP) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activities were si gnificantly decreased at the 12th week of cadmium administration. Both histopathological and biochemical findings showed a protective action of AA against cadmium hepatotoxicity.