Protective effects of vitamin A against the geeotoxicity off NNK, a McotMie-deirived /V-mtrosaimmiie

2To whom correspondence should be addressed In this investigation, the effect of vitamin A on 4-(methyl-nitrosamino)-l-(3-pyridyl)-l-butanone (NNK) induced geno-toxic damage in rat liver was studied and correlated with NNK metabolism and DNA single strand breaks (DNA-SSBs). Male adult Fischer rats were fed a vitamin A deficient diet for 8 weeks and then divided into two sub-groups. Rats in group la and group Ib were fed vitamin A supplemented and vitamin A deficient diets respectively for an additional 4 weeks. Rats were then treated with a single i.p. injection of NNK (25-100 mg/kg) and subjected to partial hepatectomy 1 week later. After 72 h, liver perfusions were performed for cell preparation. Non-hepatectomized rats were used as controls (groups Ha and lib, consisting of rats fed vitamin A supplemented and deficient diets respectively). In non