Comparative hepatic toxicity of perhexiline maleate and griseofulvin in mice

: Hepatic toxicity was observed in mice which had received Griseofulvin or Perhexilin Maleate over a period of several months. Treatment of griseofulvin alone gave rise to hepatitis with the presence of Mallory bodies (MB) whereas the same length of treatment with Perhexilin Maleate was associated with steatonecrosis with an absence of MB. When treatment was followed by a one month rest period hepatic lesions disappeared with no trace of sequelae. Cross-treatment studies showed that one week of Perhexiline Maleate was sufficient to induce MB in mice pretreated with Griseofulvin. Similarly, Griseofulvin administered to mice pretreated with Perhexilin Maleate gave rise to MB formation after one week as opposed to the usual two months incubation time (DENK et al.). The histological nature and mode of formation of these MB was identical to that encountered in acute alcoholic hepatitis. On addition, combined drug therapy employing Perhexilin Maleate suggests a particular hepatic toxicity in man in cases where the liver has become predisposed due to other therapeutic.