Hepatotoxicity of metals in glutathione-depleted mice

Sublethal doses of cadmium chloride (CdCl2; 3 mg/kg i.v.), mercuric chloride (HgCl2; 2 mg/kg i.v.) and sodium vanadate (6 mg/kg i.v.) were administered to normal and glutathione (GSH)-depleted mice (phorone, 250 mg/kg i.p.). In normal mice serum sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) activity as a measure of hepatotoxicity was elevated 24 h after treatment with CdCl2 and HgCl2. Following GSH depletion more pronounced increments of SDH activities were observed only after CdCl2 treatment. No difference was seen in the exhalation of ethane by normal and GSH-depleted animals, neither in metal-treated nor in control mice, indicating that lipid peroxidation is not involved in their hepatotoxicity.