1991 Volume 32 Issue 4 Pages 403-410
Cholecystokinin-8 like immunoreactivity (CCK-8 IR) was measured in brains of Eck fistula and DMN (dimetylnitrosamine)-induced acute hepatic failure dogs which were prepared as experimental models of hepatic encephalopathy, and studies were conducted to investigate correlations among brain CCK-8 IR, ammonia and aromatic amino acid levels in blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
Significant reductions of CCK-8 IR levels were observed not only in all areas of cerebral cortex, thalamus and midbrain of Eck fistula dogs, but also in parietal lobe, temporal lobe and thalamus of DMN-induced acute hepatic failure dogs.
There was a tendency of correlation between reduced brain CCK-8 IR levels and increased ammonia levels in blood and cerebrospinal fluid, but not a tendency of correlation between reduced brain CCK-8 IR levels and increased aromatic amino acid levels in blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
These results suggest that reduced CCK-8 IR levels in brains of dogs with hepatic encephalopathy are concerned with increased ammonia levels in blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
