Open AccessEffects of Alkyl Alcohols and Related Chemicals on Rat Liver Structure and Function
Author(s) -
Wakabayashi Takashi,
Adachi Kayo,
Popinigis Jerzy
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
acta patholigica japonica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
ISSN - 0001-6632
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1827.1991.tb03207.x
Subject(s) - alkyl , pathology , function (biology) , chemistry , medicine , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , organic chemistry
The effects of alkyl alcohols and related chemicals on the ultrastructure of mitochondria in the rat hepatocyte were studied. The following three different groups of chemicals were tested: Group 1: alkyl alcohols with straight carbon chains (ethanol, 1 propanol, 1 butanol, 1 pentanol, 1 octanol, 1 dodecanol and 1‐octadecanol); Group 2 : tert and cyclo ‐compounds ( tert ‐butanol, cyclo ‐pentanol, and cyclo hexanol); and Group 3: polyhydroxy alcohols (ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1,3 propandiol, glycerol and pentaerythritol). Results obtained were summarized as follows: 1) Ethanol, 1 propanol, 1 butanol, 1‐pentanol and 1 octanol had essentially the same effects on the mitochondrial ultrastructure: a mixed population of small and enlarged mitochondria with poorly developed cristae; 1‐dodecanol induced ultrastructural changes of mitochondria of two distinct types: a mixed population of small and enlarged mitochondria with poorly developed cristae in some hepatocytes and remarkably enlarged mitochondria with well developed cristae in others; and 1 octadecanol induced remarkably enlarged mitochondria in all hepatocytes. 2) Chemicals belonging to group 2 and group 3 induced essentially the same changes as those induced by 1‐octadecanol. More than one month was required to induce those changes. The mechanism by which those ultrastructural mitochondrial changes were induced is not clear, but the present results may suggest that the hydroxy group (‐OH) common to all these chemicals in some way accounts for the phenomenon. Acta Pathol Jpn 41: 405 413, 1991.