Toxic Effect of Glufosinate-Ammonium on Liver of Rats / 环境与健康杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the toxic effect of glufosinate-ammonium on the liver. Methods SD rats aged 6 weeks with weight of 140-160 g were randomly divided into four groups, 20 (10 males and 10 females) in each group. The rats were treated for three months by gavaging different doses of glufosinate-ammonium (0, 100, 250, 500 mg/kg bw) for the experimental group and 2% Tween-80 solution for the control group. All the rats were weighted once a week. The activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the serum were determined at the end of the study. Liver weight was measured and liver index was calculated. Pathological examination was performed. Results Treated with high-dose of glufosinate-ammonium, a retarded growth of rats was seen, the activity of ALT, AST and ALP increased significantly in both male and female rats, the liver index increased significantly and pathological changes of the liver were also observed compared with the control. No significant changes were found in the rats treated with moderate and low dose compared with the control. Conclusion Glufosinate-ammonium may produce a toxic effect on the liver of rat when the exposed dose is more than 500 mg/kg.