Drug-induced Lipid Peroxidation in Mouse Liver

Abstract

It was demonstrated that acute intoxication of mice leads to in vivo formation of lipid peroxides following ethane exhalation of the animals. Fed mice exhalated 5 nmol of ethane/kg/h after 500 mg/kg i.p. of acetaminophen, while total liver GSH dropped to 50%. 2 days of starvation led to a 40% decrease of hepatic GSH; with the same dose these animals exhalated 125–150 nmol ethane/kg/h with a final drop to 10% residual GSH. In vivo expired ethane and in vitro determined malondialdehyde correlated fairly well. No pentane was detectable. Refeeding of acetaminophen-treated starved mice resulted in a recovery of liver GSH to 60% of the normal value. Untreated starved mice reached hepatic GSH levels of 400% above normal within 16 h.