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. 1967 Jan;102(1):65–75. doi: 10.1042/bj1020065

The action of aflatoxin B1 on the rat liver

Janet I Clifford 1, K R Rees 1
PMCID: PMC1270211  PMID: 6030302

Abstract

The administration of a single dose of aflatoxin B1 to the rat (7mg./kg. body wt.) results in the slow development of a periportal necrosis. Hepatic enzymes are released into the serum in the second 24hr. of the poisoning, closely preceding the onset of the necrosis, which is followed by a rise in serum alkaline-phosphatase activity and bilirubin concentration. Aflatoxin B1 has been detected in the nucleus of the poisoned liver cell and in vitro it has been shown to interact with DNA. The toxin inhibits the production of nuclear RNA, probably by preventing the transcription of DNA by the RNA polymerase. It is proposed that the interaction of the toxin with DNA gives rise to its inhibitory action on mitosis and its necrogenic action.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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