Summary
Groups of female rats were treated orally with 0.5, 2.0, 8.0, and 32 mg/kg hexachlorobenzene twice a week for 203 days. The liver content of hexachlorobenzene was found to be dose-dependent. In the animals treated with the highest dose the concentration was 273 μg/g hexachlorobenzene. In the fresh and fixed hepatic tissue of the treated animals pink fluorescence was observed. Electron microscopy revealed a dose dependent enlargement of all hepatocytes due to proliferation of the SER in the centrolobular area or to increased glycogen deposits (β- or α-particles) and SER in the intermediary and periportal area. Numerous porphyrin deposits and siderosomes, intimate disorganisation and moderate dislocation of the RER and a moderate enlargement of bizarre-shaped mitochondria were recognized. The relationship between porphyrin crystals and mitochondria on the one hand and between SER and glycogen deposits on the other is discussed.
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G.K. is supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
The authors are indebted to S. Vellguth and J. Seidel for their technical assistance.
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Böger, A., Koss, G., Koransky, W. et al. Rat liver alterations after chronic treatment with hexachlorobenzene. Virchows Arch. A Path. Anat. and Histol. 382, 127–137 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01102869
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01102869