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Biomedical subjects

W H Butler

Publications and source records attributed to W H Butler.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Isotoxic oral and inhalation exposure of carbon tetrachloride in Porton-Wistar and Fischer rats.

Male Fischer or Porton-Wistar rats were exposed for 4 h to different atmospheric concentrations of CCl4 or were given increasing oral doses, of CCl4 in order to estimate isotoxic exposures or doses. Animals were killed 20 h after treatment, their serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activities were measured and their livers were processed for histological examination. It has been found that the equitoxic oral dose in Wistars is 1.5 times that in Fischer rats and more than 3 times after inhalation. Therefore, the conversion factors from inhalation exposure to oral dose were much higher for Fischer than for Porton-Wistar rats. After oral dosing, the extent of centrilobular damage in Fischer rats was approximately twice that in Porton-Wistar rats. After inhalation exposure, the extent of damage was the same in the two strains, but at least at the two lower exposure levels hydropic degeneration definitely contributed to the size of the damaged areas more in Porton-Wistar than in Fischer rats.

Administration, Oral

Histochemical studies on the early proliferative lesion induced in the rat liver by aflatoxin.

Male inbred Fischer rats were fed a diet containing 5 p.p.m. aflatoxin for 1, 3, 4 1/2 and 6 weeks at which times groups were killed for histological and histochemical study. Aflatoxin produced a scattered individual cell necrosis of parenchymal cells by 1 week. At 3 weeks small basophilic proliferative foci were seen which increased in size and abundance to 6 weeks. These foci showed starvation-resistant glycogen, variable depletion of glucose-6-phosphatase, succinic dehydrogenase, aniline hydrogenase, membrane ATPase and acid phosphatase. At 6 weeks the foci showed the presence of gamma glutamyl transpeptidase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. The basophilic foci were not preceded by other focal histological and histochemical change. The basophilic proliferative lesions are observed when an irreversible change has been induced in the liver. The role of such lesions in the histogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma is discussed.

Aflatoxins

Histochemical studies of hepatocellular carcinomas in the rat induced by aflatoxin.

A histochemical study has been done on a group of 18 hepatocarcinomas induced by aflatoxin. One hundred per cent, incidence of hepatocarcinomas is induced by feeding 5 p.p.m. aflatoxin for 6 weeks. The carcinomas were trabecular hepatocarcinomas with a mixed adenomatous pattern and showed considerable variation in histochemical reactions throughout the lesions. There was a patchy distribution of glycogen and glucose-6-phosphate and the membrane ATPase was present along much of the canalicular border of the cells but with an abnormal and tortuous pattern. Aniline hydroxylase was present in varying amounts in both trabecular and adenomatous carcinomas. It is concluded that the histological variants of hepatocarcinoma are all derived from hepatocytes, but no unique changes were observed related to the progress involved in malignant neoplasia. The observations form a basis for comparison with early lesions seen prior to the recognition of carcinoma.

5'-Nucleotidase

Zonal changes in the rat liver following an acute dose of phenobarbitone: an ultrastructural, morphometric and biochemical correlation.

Alterations in the liver of rats 6 h after a dose of phenobarbitone have been studied by subcellular fractionation, conventional electron microscopy and morphometric analysis. The area immediately surrounding the central vein was the only area to undergo any alterations. There was a morphometrically measurable but not observable cellular hypertrophy of 71% whilst the hepatocyte complement of rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) was increased by 72% and 93% respectively. The increases in RER and SER were not apparent by observation and it is assumed that they have been diluted by the cell hypertrophy to 1% and 22% which must be below the threshold for detection by subjective observation. Following subcellular fractionation and measurement of microsomal protein, there was no significant difference in the level of microsomes isolated from control or treated rats. Therefore, the morphometrically measured increase in RER and SER would appear to be restricted to a relatively small population of hepatocytes adjacent to the central vein. Such an increase would represent only a small percentage of total microsomes in a homogenate and would almost certainly be masked by variation in animals and techniques. Disruption of RER was also observed in hepatocytes that would proliferate their SER should phenobarbitone treatment have been continued. Therefore this RER disruption would seem in no way to interfere with the process of membrane and enzyme synthesis.

Animals

Analysis of cell cultures of 3,4-benzpyrene-treated subcutis and subsequent growth in semi-solid medium.

An in vivo-in vitro implantation model has been used to investigate further the early stages of chemically induced s.c. neoplasia in the mouse. Cell cultures of implant-site tissues from control and 3,4-benzpyrene (BP)-treated animals were found to mirror the in vivo tissue reactions occurring at the time of explantation (Westwood et al., 1979). Cells were classified into 6 different types. The most abundant cell type in later control cultures was of a typical fibroblast morphology. However, a suppression of growth of fibroblast-like cells occurred when BP-treated tissues were explanted, and a selection of growth in favour of the large polygonal Type 5 cells was observed. When grown from BP-treated tissues Type 5 cells were found to be capable of growth in a semi-solid agar medium. Quantitative studies showed that cells capable of growth in agar reached a peak about 4 weeks after implantation, followed by a decline in numbers until the formation of tumours. This observation may result from the parameters regulating the development of chemically induced neoplasia in the subcutis.

Agar

Zonal changes in the rat liver after chronic administration of phenobarbitone in ultrastructural, morphometric and biochemical correlation.

Alterations in the liver of rats subjected to 24 days of continuous administration of phenobarbitone have been supplied bu subcellular fractionation, conventional electron microscopy and morphometric analysis. The increase in wet weight of the liver was found to result from a combination of cellular hypertrophy, hyperplasia and an enlarged hepatic blood space. In the centrilobular zone all the hepatocytes underwent a substantial proliferation of total ER, became enlarged and had an increased blood supply. However, in the periportal zone phenobarbitone caused changes in only 45% of the hepatocytes, the remainder being apparently resistent or tardy. An overall dramatic increase in hepatic RER was both measured and observed but the response involved hepatocytes in which the RER had proliferated as well as those which were depleted of RER or had stacks and cisternae that were severely shortened and dispersed. These alterations are discussed in relation to changes in RER after administration of agents causing hepatonecrosis. Possible reasons for the inability of other workers to detect a phenobarbitone-induced increase in RER are also put forward. After subcellular fractionation and corection for centrifugation losses into the 9500 g pellet, using the microsomal marker cytochrome P-450, phenobarbitone-induced increase in total ER was substantially less than that found by morphometric analysis. This indicates that during the preparation of microsomes a substantial proportion of intracellular membranes, having different metabolic and synthetic properties to those finally isolated, are discarded and emphasizes the need to exercise care when using microsomal preparations.

Animals

Cellular progression of neoplasia in the subcutis of mice after implantation of 3,4-benzpyrene.

An implantation model has been used to investigate the cellular progression of chemically induced subcutaneous neoplasia in the mouse. Implantation of 3,4-benzpyrene induced persistent changes in the normal process of connective tissue formation around the implant. Light-microscope and autoradiographic studies have shown a temporal progression from aberrant filter- or muscle-associated cells through proliferative foci to large invasive sarcoma. Electron microscopy revealed that presarcomatous cell foci consisted of one of two different cell types. These were either spindle cells with ultrastructural characteristics similar to foreign-body-induced sarcoma, or cells with the ultrastructural features of rhabdomyosarcoma. The subsequent appearance of two histological groups of sarcoma that were ultrastructurally similar to the cells of the early proliferative foci indicated that both elements may progress to form tumours. However, the constituent cells of both groups of tumours displayed a broad histological and ultrastructural spectrum and the marked similarity between the undifferentiated cells of each suggested that both may have arisen from diverse differentiation of a common pluripotential cell such as the pericyte.

Animals

Histochemical observations on nodules induced in the mouse liver by phenobarbitone.

This study describes the histochemical reactions seen in nodules of the mouse liver. The nodules were obtained from 13 animals treated for over 80 weeks with phenobarbiotone and three untreated mice. The morphology of the lesion depends upon the preparative techniques and only two lesions with persistent abnormal trabecular pattern metastasised. A varying pattern of histochemical reaction was seen. The aniline hydroxylase reaction was dense in simple nodules and in centrilobular areas of phenobarbitone-treated mice but was weak in the abnormal trabecular lesions. These results suggest that it is possible to predict behavioural characteristics of mouse hepatic nodules on the basis of certain morphological characteristics.

Animals

The hepatotoxicity of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole and carbon disulphide in phenobarbitone-treated starved rats.

In phenobarbitone-treated starved male rats 1 g/kg 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole produced moderate liver necorsis and increased the serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activity. If half an hour after the administration of aminotriazole animals were exposed for 4 h to 2.0 mg/l CS2, the necrotic damage in the liver was larger and the serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activity higher than in rats not exposed to CS2. Carbon-disulphide in phenobarbitone-treated starved male rats caused only a very slight increase in the serum transminase activity in spite of the widespread hydropic degeneration in the liver. These experiments indicated that increase in serum transaminase activity is the consequence of necrosis and not hydropic degeneration; aminotriazole is hepatotoxic in rats when microsomal enzymes are induced and the hepatotoxicity of aminotriazole and carbon disulphide is potentiated by the administration of the other compound.

Alanine Transaminase

Long-term effects of phenobarbitone-Na on male Fischer rats.

Male inbred Fischer rats were fed phenobarbitone-Na at a level of 500 parts/10(6) in the diet for 1 week, followed by 1000 parts 10(6) for 103 weeks at which time the survivors were killed. Thirty-three treated rats survived to 80 weeks. Before 80 weeks, no animals showed hyperplastic lesions. Of the 33 rats surviving 80 weeks and more, 11 had foci of nodular hyperplasia. These foci were usually small, but one animal killed at 102 weeks had a lesion of 0.75 cm diameter, which compressed the surrounding liver. In one case was evidence of local invasion or metastasis found. All the livers had evidence of parenchymal cell damage. No evidence of nodular hyperplasia was found in the controls. It is concluded that there is no evidence to suggest that phenobarbitone-Na induced neoplasm in the liver of male Fischer rats.

Animals

A comparison of the changes induced in rat liver by feeding low levels of aflatoxin B1 or an azo dye.

(1) Rats have been given 6 weeks' feeding with low levels of the hepatocarcinogens aflatoxin B1 and 2-methyl dimethyl aminoazobenzene (2-Me-DAB). (2) It has been confirmed that 3 weeks' feeding with either toxin is sub-carcinogenic, whereas 6 weeks' feeding results in a high incidence of hepatocarcinoma. (3) The changes occurring in the liver during this feeding have been monitored by histological examination and zonal rotor centrifugation. (4) Marked similarities have been observed between the time courses of development of changes induced in the liver by the two carcinogens. Little change is observed after 2 weeks' feeding with the toxins. The greatest change occurs after 3 weeks' feeding, which results in tissue necrosis and the loss of a large proportion of the tetraploid hepatocyte nuclei. (5) A compensatory proliferation of predominantly diploid hepatocytes takes place in the presence of a continuing supply of either of the carcinogens. This indicates that not only does feeding each carcinogen induce the production of a population of hepatocytes resistant to the cytotoxicity of the inducing agent, but that the population is also resistant to the cytotoxicity of the other carcinogen.

Aflatoxins

Hepatic structure and function after modified jejunoileal bypass surgery for obesity.

The most serious adverse effect of standard intestinal bypass for obesity is the high incidence of hepatic dysfunction and death from hepatic failure. We therefore examined the long-term effects of a modified form of jejunoileal bypass (in which a greater continuous length of ileum is retained), on liver function in 120 patients. Substantial weight loss (119-0+/-SD 23-3 kg to 82-3+/-18-8 kg) occurred during the first nine months after surgery, accompanied by a significant rise in serum concentrations of bilirubin, alanine transferase, and alkaline phosphatase, and a significant reduction in albumin concentrations. Biochemical changes were unrelated to weight loss or halothane anaesthesia. After weight stabilisation liver function reverted to normal, and four years after bypass sulphobromophthalein retention and hepatic histology did not differ from those in obese controls. There were two postoperative deaths. Three other patients died during the period of rapid weight loss with severe hepatic steatosis. While transient mild impairment of liver function is common after modified jejunoileal bypass, clinically significant hepatic dysfunction is a rare and unexplained early complication.

Adult

Vascular changes in the lungs of rats after the intravenous injection of pyrrole carbamates.

The effects on the lung of some synthetic compounds related to monocrotaline pyrrole have been studied and compared with those previously found with that compound. When injected into a systemic vein doses of pyrrole mono- and dicarbamate produced acute pulmonary oedema. Pyrrole alcohol and ethyl carbamate had no such effect and although furyl carbamate did not cause pleural effusion in rats it did so in mice. Like monocrotaline pyrrole, when injected into other vessels the pyrrole carbamates produced oedema in the region of the first capillary bed encountered. When colloidal carbon was injected intravenously after the pyrrole carbamates, carbon "labelling" was seen in both the post-capillary venules and the capillaries of the lungs. On the whole, venular "labelling" occurred before capillary "labelling" which was best seen when the carbon was injected more than 4 hr after the pyrrole. The distribution of the carbon as seen by electron microscopy is described. No "labelling" was seen after furyl carbamate. The effects of the synthetic pyrrole esters were similar to those of monocrotaline pyrrole. Although both the pyrrole carbamates were less active on a molecular basis they had a broader action on the pulmonary vasculature causing venular as well as capillary "labelling". To affect the lungs acutely the compound had to have the pyrrole ring structure and at least one ester side-chain.

Animals

Mode of action and human health aspects of aflatoxin carcinogenesis.

The toxicity and carcinogenicity of the aflatoxins have been studied extensively in the rat. In this species these compounds are recognized as some of the most active hepatocarcinogens. The early lesions induced by the aflatoxins have been studied in an attempt to recognize the developing malignant neoplasm prior to the presence of metastasis. The relationship of focal hyperplasia to neoplasia will be discussed in comparison with other recognized carcinogens. The pattern of human hepatic neoplasia will be compared with that of neoplasia induced by the aflatoxins in order to add weight to the "mycotoxin hypothesis" of the aetiology of hepatic neoplasia. The role of dietary modification will also be discussed.

Aflatoxins