[Changes in fat metabolism in acute carbon tetrachloride intoxication of rats]

CCl4 is an organic solvent and a well known hepatotoxic agent. Injury is mediated by reactive free radicals, mainly-CCl3 (trichloromethyl). Liver lesion develops within one-two hours, however, late toxic effects may appear after a delay of several hours or two to three days. Some drugs and liver toxicants cause disturbances in synthesis and metabolism of triglycerides, cholesterol and lipoproteins, thus damaging the basic resource for living cells. In our experiments a single 1.25 ml/kg CCl4 dose was administered s.c. to male Wistar rats. 24 hours later triglyceride level increased in the plasma by 223%. Cholesterol content suffered no changes. HDL-C level decreased by 40%. LDL-C concentration was higher by 235%. Cholesterol/HDL-C ratio increased by 0.75% on account of the practically unchanged cholesterol amount in the blood. The most often used calculation (Friedewald equation) LDL-C/HDL-C ratio was higher by 305%. The increased triglyceride content in the blood is in correlation with the fatty degeneration of the liver. The high LDL-C/HDL-C ratio may point to incipient atherosclerotic complications. The pathological lipid levels measured 24 hours after intoxication claim for delayed toxic effects to be taken into consideration. It may be suggested to determine the main lipid parameters after carbon tetrachloride exposition.