Abstract
Information has been obtained concerning the extracellular control of energy metabolism of liver by changing portal blood supply.
For this purpose, male adult rabbits were used for the following three different surgical treatments: (1) ligation of left portal branch (60% segment),(2) portacaval shunt (side to side anastomosis) and (3) combination of portal branch ligation with portacaval shunt.
(1) In the ligated lobe with portal blood supply only from the hepatic artery, it was seen that both activities of energy generation and utilization markedly decreased coordinately, in spite of a higher level of energy charge being shown, which is considered to arise from the result that ATP utilization was more depressed than generation.
(2) Reduction of portal blood flow via portal vein following anastomosis resulted in light atrophy of the whole liver, in a similar way to the energy balance shown in the ligated lobe.
(3) However, an increased portal blood supply via hepatic artery into the ligated lobe inhibited the atrophic alteration of the ligated lobe brought about in the first type of operation.
