A unique intracellular aberration related to hexachlorobenzene ingestion

Liver of rats fed hexachlorobenzene (HCB) at concentrations of 1, 5, 10 and 25 ppm for 3 to 12 months was studied by electron microscopy. A unique hepatic cellular change that seemed related to HCB ingestion occurred in more than half of the rats given 5 ppm or more HCB. The changes appeared as degeneration of lipid vesicles into a form of autophagic vacuole or storage vesicle. Degeneration of the lipid vesicles appeared to be by autodigestion, i.e., by endoplasmic reticulum encapsulation and partial digestion in the manner typical of other autophagic vacuoles. It is postulated that autodigestion may represent a way for the cell to eliminate fat-stored HCB.