Impaired oxygen and glucose utilization and diminished ATP-producing in rat livers of obstructive jaundice or cirrhosis

Abstract

Rat livers in obstructive jaundice or cirrhosis were investigated for glucose utilization, hepatic blood flow, oxygen consumption and mitochondrial function.
In these livers there were noted a markedly diminished glycogensynthesizing capacity, decreased reponsiveness to glucagon and cyclic-AMP, and impairment notonly of liver cell membrane but also of that portion of the second messenger. Mitochondrial function was flund diminished before any changes in the hepatic mitochondrial concent of cytochromes became noticeable and, as a consequence, a decrease in mitochondrial concent of adenine nucleotides was observed. Rat livers in obstructive jaundice or cirrhosis also showed decreased effective hapatic blood flow and diminished oxygen consumption.
Cytothromes in liver tissues of obstructive jaundice or cirrhosis were converted more readily to their reduced from in the presence of oxygen deficiency than those of a normal liver.