title: The effect of nicotine and its interaction with carbon tetrachloride in the rat liver.
abstract: In order to study the effects of nicotine on liver, groups of rats were given nicotine doses that simulated those seen in chronic smoking (54 and 108 mumol/l of nicotine) for 10 days. A subgroup was also given a single subcutaneous injection of 6 g/kg of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) shortly before the animals of the group were killed. Histology demonstrated a significant hepatotoxic effect in the group receiving 108 mumol/l of nicotine when compared with the control group in the form of fatty change, focal or confluent necrosis and dark-cell change. The effects in pregnant rats were less severe. Carbon tetrachloride alone induced significant fatty change and focal necrosis in non-pregnant rats but not in pregnant rats. Nicotine also aggravated the CCl4 induced pathological changes in livers of both non-pregnant and pregnant animals. Thus nicotine alone, when given at a concentration of 108 mumol/l, exerted hepatotoxic effects; the alkaloid also aggravated the hepatotoxicity of CCl4. Pregnant rats were more resistant to the hepatotoxic effects produced by nicotine and CCl4.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gogo
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Luk
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Loh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride