Hepatotoxicity of heated and oxygenated corn oil

The present study was undertaken in rats to examine the hepatotoxicity of ingested heated and oxygenated corn oil. Activities of serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase markedly increased in the rats given heated and oxygenated corn oil for two weeks as compared with that of the control group. In the rats given heated and oxygenated corn oil, small fat droplets were found in the liver cells, but liver cell necrosis was not seen. Ultrastructurally, there was no conspicuous change in the liver cells, except for depletion of glycogen and dilatation of cisternae of rough and smooth surfaced endoplasmic reticulum. These experimental data show that ingestion of heated and oxygenated corn oil induces hepatic injury, and that the development of hepatic injury may relate to liver cell membrane damage due to active oxygen radicals contained in heated and oxygenated corn oil.