alpha-Naphthylisothiocyanate induced alterations in hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes and liver morphology: implications concerning anticarcinogenesis.

Alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) is a biliary toxin with anticarcinogenic properties. The studies described were designed to investigate the effects of continuous ANIT feeding on liver function. Male F-344 rats were fed ANIT at 0.01%, 0.022%, 0.047%, and 0.1% of the diet for 2, 4, and 6 weeks. Microscopic evaluation of liver sections revealed time- and dose- dependent bile duct proliferation, bile duct cell hypertrophy, and focal hepatocytic necrosis. Liver derived serum enzyme activity and serum bilirubin concentrations were increased in a fashion which correlated closely with the histological observations. A dose dependent decrease in hepatic cytochrome P-450 content, ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylase activity, and benzphetamine-N-demethylase activity was observed after 2 and 4 weeks of feeding ANIT. However, these enzyme activities returned to control values at 6 weeks in all except the 0.1% group. ANIT increased microsomal epoxide hydrolase and cytosolic DT-diaphorase activity (200-6005 of control). The enhancement was dose related and peaked at 2 and 4 weeks for epoxide hydrolase and DT-diaphorase, respectively. Both epoxide hydrolase and DT-diaphorase activity remained elevated at 6 weeks. These results suggest that ANIT mediated anticarcinogenesis, previously hypothesized to be the result of reduced mixed function oxidase activity, also may be accounted for by enhanced epoxide hydrolase and DT-diaphorase activity.