Hepatotoxicity of trichlorfon and dichlorvos in isolated rat hepatocytes

Hepatotoxicity of organophosphorus insecticides, trichlorofon and dichlorvos, a dechlorinated form of the former, was examined in isolated hepatocytes from untreated control and phenobarbital-pretreated (80 mg/kg, i.p., for 3 days) rats. These compounds produced toxic effects on hepatocytes as evidenced by malondialdehyde production and lactate dehydrogenase leakage in a dose-dependent manner up to the concentration of 2 mM, dichlorvos being more toxic than trichlorfon. Hepatocytes from phenobarbital-pretreated rats were more sensitive to these organophosphates than those from control rats. Dichloroacetaldehyde and dichloroacetic acid, metabolites of dichlorvos, did not injure hepatocytes. The toxic effects of dichlorvos on hepatocytes were enhanced by increasing oxygen concentration during the incubation, or by addition of glycolytic substrates (pyruvate, lactate or fructose) to the incubation mixtures. On the other hand, addition of antioxidants (diethyldithiocarbamate or N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine), or cytochrome P-450 inhibitors (SKF-525A or metyrapone) to the incubation mixtures attenuated malondialdehyde production caused by dichlorvos and protected cells from death. Addition of dichlorvos to the incubation mixtures of hepatic microsomes stimulated lipid peroxidation in the presence of NADPH, which was inhibited by further addition of superoxide dismutase but not catalase. These results suggest that hepatotoxicity of trichlorfon and dichlorvos are related to their peroxidative property in microsomes which is accelerated by oxygen.