F. Kuralay et al., POSSIBLE ROLE OF GLUTATHIONE IN PREVENTION OF ACETAMINOPHEN-INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY ENHANCED BY FISH-OIL IN MALE WISTAR RATS, Journal of toxicology and environmental health. Part A, 53(3), 1998, pp. 223-229
It has been reported that fish oil protects the rat liver against acet
aminophen (APAP) induced toxicity; however, this finding is controvers
ial. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of fi
sh oil-enriched diet on APAP-induced liver injury in Wistar rats. Rats
were fed a diet supplemented with either 8% fish oil or 8% corn oil,
or standard rat feed for 6 wk. After an overnight fast, rats in each g
roup were given either 2 g/kg APAP or saline orally. Our findings show
ed that APAP increased serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and that t
his rise was potentiated in the presence of dietary fat. Further fish
oil ingestion increased the glutathione (GSH) content in rat liver; ho
wever, this was not effective in protecting liver from APAP-induced to
xicity. Data suggest that GSH may be necessary to detoxify APAP metabo
lites, which are known to induce hepatotoxicity but are increased by d
ietary fat.