CCl4-hepatotoxicity in the Mongolian gerbil: influence of monooxygenase system induction.

The effects of chlordecone (CD), mirex or phenobarbital (PB) treatment of male Mongolian gerbils on CCl4-hepatotoxicity were determined. These monooxygenase inducers did not potentiate CCl4-hepatotoxicity in the gerbil although phenobarbital and CD are known potentiators in the rat. The control gerbil was more sensitive to CCl4-hepotoxicity than the control rat as reflected in loss of cytochrome (cyt) P-450 and increases in SGOT and SGPT. In addition, CCl4 treatment of the control gerbils resulted in significant reductions in cyt b5 and NADPH-cyt P-450 levels, a phenomenon not observed in the rat.