Histochemical Observations on Early Changes of Various Experimental Fatty Livers in Rats

Abstract

To investigate the common early morphologic changes in the 3 models of fatty livers, which were induced with the intravenous injection of artificial lipid emulsion, Fatgen of Dainihon Pharma. Co., and by the intraperitoneal administration of either ethionine or carbon tetrachloride, respectively, the livers of the rats received with these treatments were observed ultrastructurally at the serial intervals after each single chalange. Especially, electron-histochemical observations on lipids (triglyceride esters and phospholipids) and the related enzymes (thiol-esterase and glucose-6-phosphatase) were performed on their livers. Light-microscopic histochemical observations on lipoprotein reactions, sudanophilias, metachromasia of Nile blue sulfate, specific reactions for phospholipids, cholesterols or fatty acids, Tween 60 lipase, thiol-esterase and the other esterases, glucose-6-phosphatase and the other phosphatases, and β-hydroxybutylic dehydrogenase and the other dehydrogenases were also applied to their livers.
Histochemical demonstrations for triglycer ide esters and phospholipids were established on both ordinary sections and ultrathin sections, by means of specific enzyme-digestive methods. Purified porcine pancreatic lipase was applied to the reaction for triglyceride esters (TGE-reaction), and snake venom phospholipase was done to the reaction for phospholipids (PL-reaction). Induced fatty acids by the specific digestion were caught in situ by calcium ion and visualized by lead sulfide mathod.