Evaluating toxin-induced hepatic injury in rats by laboratory results and discriminant analysis

The ability of 14 serum biochemical assays to predict the presence of hepatic necrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) (centrilobular necrosis), allyl alcohol (periportal necrosis), and 1-napththylisothiocyanate (ANIT) (biliary duct necrosis) was evaluated in rats. Results of these assays were analyzed using multivariate discriminant analysis to determine: which assays have the highest predictive value for discriminating between control and treated rats, and which assays would discriminate between rats in the three treatment groups. Individual assays with the highest predictive value for CCl4-induced lesions versus controls were glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Assays with the highest predictive value for ANIT-induced lesions were GDH, 5'-nucleotidase (5'NT), and ALT. Assays the highest predictive value for ANIT-induced lesions were GDH, 5'-nucleotidase (5'NT), and ALT. Assays with the highest predictive value for allyl alcohol-induced lesions were an ALT/isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICD) ratio, GDH, and ALT. Canonical correlation coefficients for each assay ranged from 0.98 to 0.91 with 95-100% correct group membership predictions (treated versus control) provided by each assay. Individual assays were not highly predictive for determining group membership among all three treatment groups. A two assay combination of 5'NT and an ALT/ICD ratio provided 100% correct group membership predictions and had high canonical correlations (f1 = 0.95, f2 = 0.83).