[Hepatic function in vivo and in the isolated liver of rats poisoned with parathion]

Enzyme determinations and hepatic histological studies were carried out in normal rats and in rats intoxicated with the organophosphorus pesticide parathion. No significative evidence of hepatocellular damage was seen in parathion -- intoxicated rats as responsible of the impaired bile flow and sulfobromophthalein biliary excretion that were previously reported. On the contrary, the isolated perfused rat liver from normal and intoxicated rats showed a similar behavior when the perfusate flow through the liver was maintained at a similar rate. We conclude that altered hepatic blood flow may be a factor determinant of an impairment of bile flow and of biliary excretion of several organic anions like sulphobromopthalein that were observed in parathion -- intoxicated rats.