The effect of phenyl tert-butyl nitrone (PBN) on CCl4-induced rat liver injury detected by proton magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in vivo and electron microscopy (EM).

Acute intoxication by CCl4 induces morphological changes in rat liver which are readily detectable by 1H-NMR imaging techniques in situ. Two to four hours after the administration of CCl4, regions of high proton signal intensity are observed in the centrilobular region of the liver. The regions of high signal intensity are attributed to the formation of local edema as a result of CCl4-induced damage. Electron microscopy of the high intensity regions of CCl4 treated liver sections revealed characteristic subcellular changes which include the disapperance of ribosomes from the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), the fragmented appearance of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER), formation of vacuoles in the cisternae and swelling of the mitochondria. Pretreatment of rats with alpha-phenyl-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN), a free radical spin trap, prior to halocarbon exposure, was found to reduce the halocarbon-induced edema in the liver. Electron microscopy of the PBN pretreated CCl4 exposed rat liver sections revealed no observable changes in subcellular organization when compared to controls.