Running Title: Retinoids and Liver Injury Corresponding author:

D ow nloaded from 2 The literature indicates that retinoids can influence the metabolism and actions of xenobiotics and conversely that xenobiotics can influence the metabolism and actions of retinoids. We were interested in understanding the degree to which hepatic retinoid stores, accumulated over a lifetime, affect xenobiotic metabolism and actions. To investigate this, we induced liver injury through administration of the hepatotoxin thioacetamide (TAA) to chow fed wild type (WT) mice and lecithin:retinol acyltransferase-deficient (Lrat-/-) mice that are genetically unable to accumulate hepatic retinoid stores. Within 48 h of TAA-treatment, WT mice develop liver injury as evidenced by focal necrotic areas and increases in serum ALT activity and myeloperoxidase activity in hepatic parenchyma. Simultaneously, features o