Hepatic Δ(9) and Δ(6) desaturase activities during the recovery period following carbon tetrachloride poisoningdesaturase activities during the recovery period following carbon tetrachloride poisoning.

The liver microsomal Δ(9) and Δ(6) desaturase activities have been studied in rats with carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatitis. Immediately after poisoning, significant decreases were observed for both types of desaturase activity. However, recovery kinetics were slower for the Δ(6) desaturase than for the Δ(9) desaturase. The activities of NADH-ferricyanide and NADH-cytochrome C reductases, proteins involved in the electron transfers associated with microsomal desaturation, were also measured. There was a fall in both activities after poisoning, but this decrease was less than that of the desaturase activities.