Further studies on the mechanism of the carbon tetrachloride induced polysome breakdown

CCl4 ability to cause polysome breakdown in liver is age-dependent being negligible in the 7 days old rat and abruptly changing to adult values after 14 days of age. The CCl4 induced polysome breakdown process is more intense in the phenobarbital treated than in control rats while the 3-MC prior treatment does not modify its intensity. Prior treatment with SKF 525A increases the intensity of the polysome breakdown process while Sch 5705 or Sch 5706 administration do not modify it. Aminotriazole or cycloheximide pretreatment but not pyrazole administration decrease the intensity of polysome rupture caused by CCl4. The CCl4 deleterious action on strain A/J mouse liver polysomes is as intense as is in the rat liver. Results are discussed in relation to the role of either the irreversible binding of CCl4 components to ribosomes or lipid peroxidation as reponsible for the breakdown process.