Feathery degeneration

Effects on the liver were observed in rats treated dermally (lateral abdominal area) with daily doses of 60 mg nickel/kg/day as nickel sulfate for 15 or 30 days (Mathur et al. 1977). The effects included swollen hepatocytes and feathery degeneration after 15 days and focal necrosis and vacuolization after 30 days. In this study, there was no indication that the rats were prevented from licking the nickel from the skin therefore, these effects could have resulted from oral... 

Benzene is metabolized primarily in the liver by the cytochrome P-450 system (Parke 1989). It appears that the metabolism of benzene by the hepatic cytochrome P-450 system plays an important role in its bioactivation and toxicity. Sammett et al. (1979) provided corroborative evidence of this by showing that partial hepatectomy of rats diminished both the rate of metabolism of benzene and its toxicity. An increase in altered hepatic foci has been shown in male rats after benzene exposure in conjunction with initiator and promotor administration (Dragan et al. 1993). A dose of 500 mg/kg of benzene administered subcutaneously once daily, 5 days a week for 26 weeks to Wistar rats resulted in focal fine droplet fatty metamorphosis with accompanying lymphoidal infiltration in the liver after 12 weeks (Bloch et al. 1990). In some cases a proliferated histocyte-like cells formed clusters in the vicinity of the periportal fields. After 26 weeks, more diffuse steatosis, feathery degeneration of hepatocytes, single necrotic cells were seen. 

Feathery degeneration is the term used to describe the delicate honeycomb-like, brownish streaky change of liver cells, which is due to bilirubin impregnation of the visible cytoplasmic structures. It can occur following long-term cholestasis. Cellular hydrops is evident with dilation of the endoplasmic cisternas, caused by the toxic impact of biliary acids, (s. fig. 13.4)... 

Fig. 13.4 Obstructive jaundice with feathery degeneration of hepatocytes (—>)...

Fig. 22.4 Feathery degeneration (arrows) of ballooned hepatocytes, massive liver cell oedema and bihrubinostasis in the cana-hculi. Clinically cholestatic course of acute viral hepatitis B...

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