A semiquantitative morphologic assessment of chlordecone-potentiated chloroform hepatotoxicity.

A semiquantitative morphologic procedure has been applied to chlordecone potentiation of CHCl3-induced liver injury in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The distance of the injured area from the terminal hepatic venule (THV) to the portal area was measured and the damaged cells were classified by type. The results were plotted graphically, along with elevations in plasma enzyme activities (GPT and OCT), to depict the pattern of damage. Chlordecone pretreatment enhanced the severity of the CHCl3-induced cellular changes and increased the number of cells affected. Dosages of 5 mg/kg of chlordecone did not potentiate CHCl3 toxicity, but higher dosages (10-50 mg/kg) enhanced the toxic response in a dose-dependent manner.