BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF VERRUCARIN J IN MALE MICE LIVER

Abstract

Eight treated groups of 10 male mice that were injected with two sublethal doses of verrucarin J (0.9 and 0.5 mg/kg body weight) for two, four, six and eight weeks (for each dose) were compared with eight groups of control mice. Serum total protein and albumin were decreased in treated groups. Globulins, total lipids, total bilirubin, conjugated bilirubin and unconjugated bilirubin were increased compared with the control groups. Liver disease is often clinically assessed using serum enzyme activities such as glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, γ-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, and 5′-nucleotidase. The levels of these enzymes were increased in serum of treated groups compared with the control groups. The results indicate that the second dose produced less dramatic biochemical changes than the first dose in the above-mentioned parameters.