Histochemical manifestations of early and late changes induced by Aflatoxin in rats.

Wistar rats were intraperitoneally treated with different doses of Aflatoxin B1 (5 and 7 mg/kg body weight) and sacrificed after various periods (6, 24, 48, 72 h, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 days and 86, 96, 97 weeks) in an attempt to detect liver, lung, intestine, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes alterations. There are histochemical indications to suggest early liver changes for both doses in carbohydrates metabolism (decreasing of: polysaccharides, acid and neutral mucopolysaccharides, LD activity diffusely distributed through the all lobule). After 86, 96, 97 weeks from Aflatoxin administration, hepatocytes alterations rendered evident by fat accumulations, depletion or loss of polysaccharides, acid and neutral mucopolysaccharides, loss of cytoplasmic enzymes activities, altered pattern of surface ATP-ase are associated with diffuse fibrosis. The findings are suggestive that liver alterations are depending on dose and duration of exposure and could be detected by histochemical methods before significant morphological changes appear.