Relationship between lysosomal damage, fatty infiltration and hepatocellular necrosis in the course of acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride in the rat.

In the course of liver injury induced by CCl4 in rats the change of the endoplasmic reticulum takes 5 hours and that of the lysosomal membrane, 18 hours to develop. The latter change precedes hepatocellular necrosis. Elevation of plasma free fatty acids and fatty infiltration of the liver can be observed at 3 hours after CCl4 administration. The maximum of fatty infiltration, hepatocellular necrosis and the highest degree of lysosomal damage develop at the same time. Since CCl4 is eliminated in a few hours, it must initiate a cellular process which then leads to lysosomal membrane damage and hepatocellular necrosis.