Isoproterenol--induced damage to the liver of chick embryos.

Isoproterenol has been shown to cause severe liver damage in chick embryos. Most severe lesions were observed in embryos 10 to 12 days old, which showed extensive parenchymal necrosis. In older embryos, the lesions were mostly represented by areas of fatty degeneration. In 6 to 9-day-old embryos, the changes were indistinct (slight). The necrotic foci underwent slow resorption with disperse dystrophic calcification. Surviving hepatocytes around the damaged areas revealed some regenerative phenomena. The possible cause of marked hepatotoxicity of isoproterenol for chick embryos is discussed.