Abstract
Citrate is a very important medicament in clinical use. Recently injection of this medicament is becoming very common with the increase of massive blood transfusion. Although the infusion of citrate is very much concerned with liver function, there have been published few studies upon the relation of citrate to liver function. Accordingly, the present writer observed the effect of citrate on the function of liver and R.E.S. in healthy and liver-damaged rabbits.
The following liver function tests were performed: hippuric acid test, santosol test, fructose tolerance test, azorubin S test, B.S.P. retention test, prothrombin test and congored test. As citrate solution 10% sodium citrate was used.
The following results were obtained.
1) After injection of 50 mg/kg citrate in healthy rabbits, several kinds of liver function, especially the ability of detoxication, were greatly increased.
2) By daily injection of 50 mg/kg citrate in healthy rabbits, the ability of detoxication was increased during the period from the 4th to the 7th day, but it could not be increased further.
3) In the cases of liver-damaged rabbits, the group of citrate injected (daily) showed earlier healing of detoxication ability than the control group.
In a word, some kinds of the liver function are accelerated by citrate injection, and the mechanism of this accelerating action is analogous with that of glucose or fructose. Considering that the acceleration and protection of liver function are necessary for most cases of blood transfusion, this action of citrate is clinically very important.
