Deviations in ornithine-related metabolism during hexachlorocyclohexane-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in mice: evidence for conversion of glutamate to ornithine.

Chronic administration of technical-grade hexachlorocyclohexane in Swiss male mice resulted in necrosis, and later in adenomatous nodules and hepatocellular carcinomas at 3, 7, and 10 months, respectively, after initiation of the experiment. A definite pattern of changes were observed of arginase, ornithine transaminase, ornithine carbamoyltransferase activities, and metabolites related to ornithine. Conversion of glutamate to ornithine correlated well with the decreased glutamate and constant ornithine in liver of mice fed hexachlorocyclohexane for 7 months.