Abstract
Studies were made, using rats, on the hepatic content of lipoic acid in the various states as, acute and chronic liver damage by CCl_4,acute liver damage by ethionine, acute poisoning by arsenite, phosphorus and alcohol, and the deficiency of vitamin B_1 or vitamin B_6. The determination of lipoic acid was done by the bioassay with Streptococcus faecalis 10Cl. The acid hydrolysis in 6N H_2SO_4 at 120℃ for one hour was carried out in order to liberate lipoic acid from liver tissue. The hepatic content of lipoic acid in the various states mentioned above was lower than that in the normal rats, except of vitamin B_1 deficiency in which the hepatic content of lipoic acid was higher than that in normal rats. The hepatic content of lipoic acid in patients with liver disease was also determined. It was lower than that in patients without liver disease, while it did not decrease in patients with acute hepatitis.
