[Polychlorocamphane (P.C.C.) effects on the microsomal enzyme activities and fat content of rat liver (author's...

The rat liver mixed function oxydases are induced by polychlorocamphane incorporated in the food at a dose level of 250 ppm for 30 days. The fat content of liver is enhanced by the treatment, specially that of microsomal phospholipids and whole liver esterified cholesterol and triglycerides. Microsomal acylcoenzymeA-cholesterol-acytransferase activity, expressed in nM/g of liver weight, which catalyses the esterification of free cholesterol, is increased significantly by P.C.C. treatment. The accumulation of triglycerides is inconsistent with an enhanced lipolysis of adipose tissue since the plasma levels of free fatty acids are the same for control and treated rats. These results confirmed the eventual correlation between induction and hepatic steatosis suggested by some authors.