Enhanced hepatic chemiluminescence following carbon tetrachloride or hydrazine administration

Lipid peroxidation has been implicated as a mechanism of cellular injury due to a variety of hepatotoxic agents. In this study a scintillation spectrophotometer was employed to measure photon emission as an index of lipid peroxidation. Chemiluminescence (CL) from rat liver homogenates was significantly enhanced when animals were pretreated with hepatotoxic agents such as hydrazine or CCl₄. The enhanced CL was markedly reduced by the addition of antioxidants $\text{in}$$\text{vitro}$ or incubation with 100% nitrogen, events which have been demonstrated to decrease lipid peroxidation. Compared to results obtained employing the thiobarbituric acid assay, the CL procedure appears to be a more sensitive index of lipid peroxidation. The chemiluminescence procedure appears to merit further evaluation in the assessment of the role of lipid peroxidation in the pathogenesis of cell injury.