Abstract
In order to analyse the causative factors being responsible for development of vacuolar degeneration of the hepatic cell, several types of experiments; simultaneous loading of hypoxemia and hepatic congestion to the isolated perfused rat liver, and, in vivo, inhalation of hypoxic air, combination of hypoxic air inhalation and hepatic congestion, and hepatic congestion only, were performed. The simultaneous loading of hypoxia and hepatic congestion produced a severe grade of vacuolar degeneration of the hepatic cell in the central zone of liver lobule.
The hypoxic air inhalation produced a very slight grade of and hepatic congestion a moderate grade of vacuolar degeneration. Morphological characteristics and distribution of the vacuole produced experimentally were quite similar with that of human being. From these experiments, it was concluded that two factors; a decrease in an oxygen supply to the hepatic cell and an elevation of a sinusoidal pressure, were necessary for development of vacuolar degeneration of the hepatic cell.
