Reversibility and interaction with hepatic regeneration of toluene induced liver injury.

Acute and subacute toluene poisoning was induced in CFY rats. Routine histological, enzyme histochemical and electron microscopic investigations revealed that following discontinuation of exposure, the hepatic changes indicating an enhanced load on the detoxicating function (increased SDH activity, increase of mitochondria and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, decrease in Best carmine staining and PAS positivity) as well as degeneration (dilation of endoplasmic reticulum, accumulation positivity) as well as degeneration (dilation of endoplasmic reticulum, accumulation of autophagous vacuoles) show a rapid regression. The toxic effect of toluene and the functional load on the liver is thus reversible. In another series, toluene exposure was combined with partial hepatectomy. It has been established by routine histological, enzyme histochemical and electron microscopic techniques as well as by quantitative light and electron microscopic methods that the two interventions show a peculiar interaction: hepatic regeneration following partial hepatectomy inhibited the effect of toluene. On the other hand, the rate of regeneration was not influenced by toluene.