Reduced phallotoxin uptake by livers of young compared with adult rats.

Using [3H]-demethylphalloin as a tracer the uptake of phallotoxins by the liver of young (6, 12, 16 days old) and adult rats was determined in relation to the dose of toxin administered. The maximum amount taken up by the livers of the young rats was only about 50% of that in adults. Nevertheless, with a dose as high as 55 mg/kg body weight the toxin concentration in the young liver reached more than 30 micrograms/g, being markedly higher than the minimum concentration (approximately 20 micrograms/g) required to cause irreversible damage of the liver in adult rats and death of the animals. This suggests that the tolerance of young rats to phallotoxins cannot solely be explained by the reduced uptake of the toxin.