US EPA

1269583 

Book/Book Chapter 

Hepatobiliary system 

Haschek, WM 

1998 

Academic Press 

San Diego, CA 

Fundamentals of toxicologic pathology (Revised edition) 

127-151 

English 

is a chapter of 1269794 Fundamentals of toxicologic pathology (Revised edition)

When laboratory animals are exposed to xenobiotics, toxic responses occur relatively frequently in the liver compared with other organs. The reasons for this frequency are probably numerous but certainly include the high metabolic capability and the portal blood supply of the liver. The liver is a major site of metabolism resulting in the activation of exogenous chemicals or xenobiotics to toxic metabolites. Organs that lack such metabolic capabilities or have lower metabolic capabilities are less susceptible to toxins requiring metabolic activation. The liver is also the first major organ to be exposed to ingested toxins due to its portal blood supply. Therefore, toxins may be at least partially removed from the circulation during the first pass, providing protection to other organs while increasing the likelihood of hepatic injury.

Although numerous animal species have been used in experimental toxicology, rats and mice are the major species used. The ultimate goal of understanding toxic responses in the livers of these experimental animals is to determine if exposure to the inciting agent poses any risk to either animals or humans that may be intentionally or inadvertently exposed to the toxic agent. The toxicologic pathologist plays an important role in providing the necessary information for making critical risk assessment decisions. 

Revised 

Haschek, WM; Rousseaux, CG 

9780123302229