Histochemical demonstration of enhanced glutathione content in enzyme-altered islands induced by carcinogens in rat liver.

The presence of glutathione was demonstrated histochemically in livers of rats treated with diethylnitrosamine or N-nitrosomorpholine. Glutathione content was markedly elevated in adenosine triphosphatase-deficient, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase-positive hyperplastic cell islands. This finding may partly explain the increased resistance of hyperplastic cells to cytotoxic actions of hepatocarcinogens.