The effect of partial hepatectomy on the toxicity of ethylene glycol, glycolic acid, glyoxylic acid and glycine

Abstract

Glycine, glycolate, ethylene glycol and glyoxylate were force-fed to male rats on which partial hepatectomy had been performed. Urine was collected for 48 hr and assayed for oxalate and glyoxylate. Partial hepatectomy increased the toxicity of glyoxylate, decreased the toxicity of ethylene glycol and glycolate, and increased the urinary oxalate of rats fed glyoxylate, but not of rats fed ethylene glycol, glycine and glycolate. Liver regeneration was not altered by the oxalate precursors employed. [U- 14C]Glycine, [U- 14C]ethylene glycol, [U- 14C]-glycolate, and [U- 14C]glyoxylate were oxidized to [U- 14C]oxalate by the isolated perfused liver. The order for increased oxalate synthesis was glycine, ethylene glycol, glycolate and glyoxylate. The results suggest that the toxicity of ethylene glycol and glycolate is due to the formation of metabolic products such as glyoxylate or oxalate. The liver was identified as the major source of endogenous oxalate synthesis in the rat.