Monooxygenase activity and ultrastructural changes of liver in the course of chronic exposure of rats to vinyl chloride.

The activity of microsomal cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase and ultrastructure of the liver have been studied in rats exposed dynamically to 50, 500, and 20,000 ppm of vinyl chloride (VC) over 10 months. After 1 and 3 months of exposure to 500 and 20,000 ppm of VC, the level of cytochrome P-450 was slightly lower than in the control animals and upon continuation of exposure it was restored to the original level accompanied by slight increase of activity of aniline p-hydroxylase. Liver enlargement, developed in the course of the exposure, was accompanied by ultrastructural alterations beginning in the 3rd month of exposure to all concentrations of VC. Development of hepatic alterations (hypertrophy of smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum, swelling of mitochondria, accumulation of lipid droplets, focal cytoplasmic degradation) is discussed with regard to the activity of microsomal monooxygenase system in metabolizing VC to toxic metabolites.