Thin section and freeze-fracture studies of hexachlorophene induced alterations in the rat liver with special regard to intercellular junctions.

The ultrastructural changes in the liver cells of male Wistar rats induced by the oral and intraperitoneal application of hexachlorophene (HCP) were studied by using the freeze-fracture technique and by producing ultrathin sections. The rats were given the HCP once at a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight and were sacrificed 60 hours after treatment. The enlargement of bile canaliculi, the disorganization of tight junctions and the increase in number of gap junctions were the most prominent alterations observed in the liver cells. Furthermore, an increase in the smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum and the microbodies were found. Pathological alterations in the mitochondria were also seen. In general, the effects of the intraperitoneal application on the liver were more pronounced than the effects of the oral application.