Abatement of Hepatocellular Damage and Mortality Incidence by Zinc Treatments in Endotoxemic Rats.
Abstract:
Intraperitoneal administration of zinc, as zinc chloride, prior to or simultaneously with a lethal quantity of Salmonella typhimurium endotoxin significantly protects rats against toxin-induced mortality and hepatocellular damage. Pretreatment with amounts of zinc chloride ranging from 0.4 to 2.0 mg100 g body weight resulted in 80-100 survival compared to 10 survival in untreated control rats at 24 h postendotoxin. Zinc chloride treatment in excess of 2.0 mg100 g body wt appears to be toxic and provided diminished protection. The effectiveness of zinc to enhance survival if it is given after endotoxin is greatly diminished as a function of time after endotoxin. The extent of hepatocellular damage was assessed at various times after endotoxin administration in zinc-treated and untreated rats by measurement of plasma ornithine carbamoyltransferase activity and histologic examination of liver sections. Zinc pretreatments effectively prevented endotoxin-induced elevations in plasma enzyme activity and hepatic tisssue necrosis.