Early changes in thioacetamide-induced liver damage.

Plasma amino acids, serum enzymes, liver glutathione and the hepatic lipid peroxidation capacity of the rat were investigated in acute thioacetamide toxicity. These were examined in parallel with the earliest pathological changes shown by electron microscopy. Plasma arginine levels were significantly lowered 3 h after dosing thioacetamide and by 9 h were indistinguishable. This finding correlates with other workers demonstrating urea cycle damage in alcohol and carbon tetrachloride damaged rat liver. Depressed arginine plasma levels were detectable before any of the biochemical or pathological processes co-examined and as such may prove useful as a sensitive in vivo method for detection of acute liver damage.