Glutathione depletion by methyl chloride and association with lipid peroxidation in mice and rats

Inhalation of methyl chloride (CH3Cl) by male B6C3F1 mice resulted in a concentration-dependent depletion of glutathione (GSH) in liver, kidney, and brain. Exposure for 6 hr to 100 ppm CH3Cl decreased the concentration of GSH in mouse liver by 45%, while exposure to 2500 ppm for 6 hr lowered liver GSH to approximately 2% of control levels. For those exposures which decreased liver GSH to less than 20% of control levels, the extent of liver GSH depletion was closely correlated with the capacity of a 9000g supernatant fraction from the liver to undergo lipid peroxidation in vitro. GSH was depleted to a lesser extent in mouse brain and kidney, compared to liver, and no relationship to peroxidation was observed for single exposures to CH3Cl. A dose-dependent decrease in liver GSH was also produced by diethyl maleate, although a nearly lethal amount (2 ml/kg) was required to lower liver GSH to less than 10% of control levels. Under these conditions the amount of lipid peroxidation was 3.5-fold less than in mice exposed to 2000 ppm CH3Cl. Exposure of rats to 2000 ppm CH3Cl reduced liver GSH to 20% of control levels, compared to 4.5% in mice similarly exposed, and under these exposure conditions the amount of lipid peroxidation measured in vitro was 40-fold greater in mouse liver than in rat liver. During exposure of mice to 2500 ppm CH3Cl, ethane expiration increased to an extent comparable to that produced by administration of 2 ml/kg of CCl4. These findings suggest that GSH depletion in liver may be an important component of CH3Cl-induced hepatotoxicity.