Abstract
This study characterized the effect of liver injury produced by hepatotoxicants on the biliary and urinary excretion of acetaminophen(AA) metabolites. Liver damage was produced in male S.-D. rats, 24 hr after dosing with carbon tetrachloride(4CCl_4,$ 0.75 mι/kg, ip) or thioacetamide(TA, 200 mg/kg, ip), or 16 hr after administration of cadmium chloride(4CdCl_2,$ 3.9 mg/kg, iv). Liver damage without renal injury was confirmed by measuring serum enzymes, creatinine and BUN levels as well as by histopathological examination. AA and its metabolites were measured for 3 hr by HPLC in rats injected iv with 1 mmo1/kg of AA. The excreted amounts of AA-glucuronide into bile were reduced to 60~70% of control rats by hepatotoxicants, but did not change urinary excretion of AA-glucuronide and AA-sulfate. Treatments with $CCl_4,\; CdCl_2$ and TA decreased the total (biliary plus urinary) excretion of thioethers of AA(30~50% of control), suggesting that these toxicants decrease cytochrome P-450-mediated toxification of AA. However, treatments of $CdCl_2$and TA markedly enhanced the excretion of AA-mercapturate into urine. Thus, 4CdCl_2$ and TA not only influence the formation of AA-glutathione, but may also alter the excretory routes (i.e. bile and urine) for the elimination of AA-metabolite.
