Acute hepatotoxicity of carbon tetrachloride. Different liver lobes response in rats with portal branch ligation.

Portal branch ligation (PBL) leads to atrophy of the corresponding lobe (AL) and hypertrophy of the non ligated lobes (HL). Liver architecture of AL is preserved. In this model we assessed in rats, one month after PBL, the acute hepatotoxicity of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) given i.p. or i.v. Grading of necrosis, steatosis and ballooning demonstrated that at 24 and 48 h, AL were less severely damaged than HL and lobes of sham operated rats. Changes in hepatic blood flow, drug metabolism and/or in sinusoidal cells may represent causes involved in the partial hepato-protection.