Arachidonic acid metabolites in carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury.

The changes in the levels of leukotrienes (LTs) and prostaglandins (PGs) in the liver tissue of rats with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury were studied. As a result, after the administration of CCl4, the levels of LTs increased at an early stage while the levels of PGs increased at a later stage. This suggests that LTs may have an adverse effect on liver injury induced by CCl4, and that PGs may not have a direct effect on liver injury. In addition, serum GOT and GPT levels improved with the administration of AA-861, a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, while these levels did not change with the administration of indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor. These results suggest that arachidonic acid metabolites may play an important role in the induction of liver cell injury.