Assessment of hepatocellular damage and hematological alterations in mice chronically fed p-dimethyl aminoazobenzene and phenobarbital.

Two sets of mice (Mus musculus) were chronically fed 0.06% p-dimethylaminoazobenzene (p-DAB) and 0.05% Phenobarbital (PB) for 90 and 120 days, respectively, and several cell biological and hematological parameters were studied against normal diet fed controls. The cell biological studies included: (i) matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and reduced glutathione content (GSH), and (ii) ultra-structural changes in liver through scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopies. Further, changes in some other parameters like blood glucose level, cholesterol and hemoglobin contents, serum cortisol concentration and rate of viability of lymphocytes were also recorded. The serum hormonal levels of estradiol and testosterone were also measured in view of the observation that mice subjected to chronic feeding of p-DAB and PB had dramatically reduced reproductive abilities. All results clearly indicated that the chronic feeding of the carcinogens induced considerable toxicity and palpable hepato-cellular injuries along with some other changes during the carcinogenetic process in liver.