In Vitro Hepatic Bioactivation of Aflatoxin B? in the Pregnant Rat
Abstract
The specific aim of this study was to determine the capacity of the maternal rat liver to bioactivate aflatoxin B₁ on day 6 of gestation. Lowry protein determinations on rat liver microsome preparations revealed on increase in the total amount of microsomal protein per gram of liver tissue in pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats on day 6 of gestation as compared to nonpregnant control animals. In vitro, microsomes from day 6 pregnant animals showed an enhanced capability to bioactivate aflatoxin B? resulting in a two-fold increase in the level of binding of aflatoxin B₁ to DNA when compared to nonpregnant controls. It was thus concluded that these is gestation-specific activation of aflatoxin B₁ in pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats with greater hepatic aflatoxin B₁ activation present on day 6 of gestation as compared to nonpregnant control rats. This increased hepatic bioactivation indicates the enhanced production of microsomal enzymes capable of activating aflatoxin B₁.
Description
Program year: 1983-1984Digitized from print original stored in HDR
Citation
Hobbes, Yuonne Annette (1984). In Vitro Hepatic Bioactivation of Aflatoxin B? in the Pregnant Rat. University Undergraduate Fellows. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /CAPSTONE -HobbesY _1984.