Alterations in dimethylnitrosamine-induced lethality and acute hepatotoxicity in rats during dietary thiamin, riboflavin and pyridoxine deficiencies

Abstract

The effects of dietary thiamin, riboflavin and pyridoxine deficienies on dimethylnitrosamine-induced lethality and hepatotoxicity were investigated in the rat. Development of deficienies was monitored by growth rate, food intake, ratio of liver weight to body weight and the biochemical parameters (thiamin diphosphate effects for thiamin deficiency, glutathione reductase activity coefficient for riboflavin deficiency and erythrocyte glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase activity for pyridoxine deficiency). Thiamin deficiency slightly increased the acute toxicity of dimethylnitrosamine as observed by the lowering of the LD 50 dose and the greater increase in the serum glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase and serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase levels. Riboflavin deficiency, on the other hand, slightly increased the LD 50 dose of dimethylnitrosamine and resulted in less dimethylnitrosamine-induced damage to the liver. Pyridoxine deficiency did not affect the lethal dose nor significantly alter the transaminases levels. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.