Modulation of the activity of hepatic gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, adenosine triphosphatase, placental glutathione S-transferase and adenylate cyclase by acute administration of lead nitrate.

The effect of a single administration of lead nitrate on the activity of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (gamma-GT), adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), the placental form of glutathione S-transferase (GST-P) and adenylate cyclase (AC), four enzymes widely used as phenotypic markers for preneoplasia, was investigated in the liver of male Wistar rats. The results of the histochemical enzymatic staining indicated that an acute treatment with lead nitrate induces the activity of gamma-GT, mainly in the hepatocytes located around zone I of the liver acinus, with a maximum seen between 72-96 hours. On the other hand, the activity of ATPase was found to be severely inhibited at 2-3 days after treatment, as shown by a strong decrease in the staining of the bile canaliculi of zones II and III. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that lead nitrate administration also resulted in the appearance in most of the hepatocytes of GST-P, an enzyme whose activity is almost undetectable in normal rat liver, but is elevated in preneoplastic liver lesions. Finally, lead nitrate treatment resulted in an inhibition of AC activity which was maximal after 24 hours.