[Liver damage after paracetamol and carbon tetrachloride administration].

Preliminary data on the liver damage following combined treatment with paracetamol and carbon tetrachloride in the rat are reported. Administration of a single dose of paracetamol (2000 mg/kg, os) was followed after 1 hour by an intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 (1.0 ml/Kg). Experiments in parallel were performed in rat given paracetamol or CCl4 alone. Our results indicate paracetamol induces a drastic decrease of hepatic GSH that appears in relation with a marked production of TBA-reacting compounds in liver tissue, while CCl4 does not modify the hepatic content of GSH and provokes a slight increase of TBA-reacting substances. Preventive treatment with paracetamol of rats intoxicated after 1 hour with carbon tetrachloride results in a partial protection against fatty liver and necrosis following haloalkane poisoning. On the other hand, the combined treatment with both the hepatotoxins was followed by a minor decrease of GSH. These data are discussed in considering a possible interaction of the two chemicals at the site of their activation.