THE EFFECT OF ACUTE ETHANOL INTOXICATION ON CHLOROFORM-INDUCED LIVER DAMAGE

¹ Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana

Pretreating mice with single and multiple intoxicating doses of ethanol, before challenging with a minimally hepatotoxic dose of chloroform, resulted in an increased incidence of abnormal liver function. This was assessed by measuring pentobarbital sleeping time, BSP retention and liver succinic dehydrogenase activity. The histologic findings were consistent with the results obtained.

That these findings were probably due to an ethanol-induced increase in liver lipids, resulting in higher chloroform retention, was demonstrated by chemical analyses. The effects occur at a time when the ethanol is no longer detectable in the animals.