Effects of Carbon Tetrachloride on Perfused Cultures of Hepatic and Neuronal Cells

Abstract

Cultured hepatocytes and hemisphere neurons from chick embryos and mouse neuroblastoma cells were exposed to carbon tetrachloride (CC1₄; 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4mM) for 1 hour, using a perfusion system developed for studying the effects of volatile substances. In the perfused cultures, three parameters were compared: lipid peroxidation, membrane integrity and cellular respiration. In addition, cytochrome C oxidase activity was determined after incubation of cell homogenates with CC1₄. A concentration-dependent increase in lipid peroxidation and membrane permeability was found in the neuroblastoma cells. The hepatocytes responded to a lesser extent with respect to membrane permeability and their lipid peroxidation did not differ from that of controls. The hepatocytes responded with a 35% decrease in respiration when exposed to 3mM CC1₄, and a 20% decrease in cytochrome C oxidase activity after treatment with 1.5mM CCl₄. In the neuronal cells, much smaller decreases in respiration were found and their cytochrome C oxidase activity remained unaffected. These results are very similar to those obtained after incubation in a closed chamber system. However, the perfused cells were found to be less sensitive to CCl₄ than cells exposed under static conditions.