Relationship between hepatic glutathione content and carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in vivo.

The relationship between carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity and hepatic glutathione (GSH) content was investigated in fed and fasted rats. The elevation of serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GTP) activity by CCl4 treatment was enhanced by fasting. Although the hepatic GSH content fo 12-hour-fasted rats was higher than that of fed rats determined at 6 p.m., the serum GPT activity of the former was higher than that of the latter. Starvation had no effect on the activities of hepatic glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glutathione reductase (GR). The results suggest that the potentiation of hepatic injury by CCl4 cannot be related to hepatic GSH content.