Studies on the influence of sex hormones on the avian liver. II. Acute liver damage in the male fowl, and the protective effect of oestrogen, as determined by a liver function test.

Abstract

SUMMARY 1. Liver function in male fowls as assessed by a modified sodium bromosulphthalein clearance test, is noticeably impaired 1–1½ hr after a sublethal dose of the hepatotoxic alkaloid, seneciphylline, and is greatly impaired at 4–4½ hr. Between this period and 24 hr, the clearance curve returns to more normal values, but is now of the female type, and this alteration in the mode of excretion of the dye persists for at least 5 days after a single administration of the alkaloid. 2. Previous treatment with diethylstilboestrol protects the male bird's liver to a considerable degree against the hepatotoxic effect of the alkaloid. 3. On the evidence of liver clearance curves, male birds receiving repeated weekly sublethal doses of seneciphylline return to normal much more quickly if previously treated with stilboestrol than control birds not so treated; they also gain weight at a faster rate. 4. It is suggested that within reasonable limits of liver damage, the accumulation of oestrogen, through the inability of the liver to excrete it and its retention in inflamed cells, may be beneficial in that it helps to protect against further damage, and also may encourage repair processes.