Enhanced hepatotoxicity of aflatoxin B1 in the rat by ethanol: ultrastructural changes.

The effect of ethanol pretreatment on aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-induced ultrastructural alteration in hepatocytes was investigated in male Wistar rats. Pretreatment with 4 oral doses of ethanol (4.0 g/kg body wt. each) at 48, 45, 24 and 21 h prior to a single intraperitoneal administration of AFB1 (2.0 mg/kg body wt.) produced an alteration of fine structure more extensive than that observed after administration of AFB1 or ethanol alone. The organelles most affected were the mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and nucleus. The degree of nuclear edema, rough endoplasmic reticulum dilatation and mitochondrial swelling in hepatocytes from rats treated with ethanol and AFB1 was much greater than that of hepatocytes from rats treated with AFB1 or ethanol alone. Thus, ethanol may play a specific role in the potentiation of hepatic injury induced by AFB1 at the mitochondrial, endoplasmic reticular and nuclear level.