The detoxification capacity of the liver is well documented for a variety of substances including ethanol, organic pesticides, drugs, and metals. The piscean liver, although less enzymatically active than the mammalian counterpart (1), contains endoplasmic reticulum with an impressive repertoire of oxidizing, reducing, and conjugating abilities (2). Histopathologic changes are kncwn to occur in fish hepatocytes following in vivo exposure to arsenic (3); however, ultrastructural changes have not been reported. This study involved the morphometric analysis of intracellular changes in fish parynchymal hepatocytes and correlation with arsenic concentration in the liver.Green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus, R.) were exposed to 0, 30, or 60 ppm arsenic (as sodium arsenate) at 20°C for 1, 2, or 3 week intervals before removal of livers for quantification of the arsenic burden (using neutron activation analysis) and morphometric analysis of ultrastructural alterations. Livers were cut into 1 mm cubes for fixation, dehydration, and embedding.
