Pancreatic endocrine function was investigated in rats with liver disorders induced by CCl
4treatment.
The results obtained were as follows:
1. Basic plasma glucagon level in rats with short-term CC14 treatment showed no significant difference compared with that in the control group, however, the level in rats with chronic liver disorder induced by CCL
4 treatment was significantly higher than that in the control.
Basic plasma insulin level in rats with acute liver disorder induced by CCl
4 treatment was significantly higher than that in the control, but no difference was observed between the plasma insulin level in rats with chronic liver disorder induced by CCl
4 and that in the control.
2. There was no significant difference between the plasma glucagon level in response to arginine administration in rats with acute liver disorder induced by CCl
4 treatment and that in the control, however, significantly higher responsiveness was observed in rats with chronic liver disorder by CCl
4 treatment compared with that in the control.
On the other hand, a significantly hyper-response of plasma insulin increase to arginine administration was observed in rats with acute liver damage induced by CCl
4 treatment and a decrease was observed in an inverse manner in rats with chronic liver damage.
3. These changes were more pronounced when the levels of plasma insulin and glucagon were estimated by molar ratio (I/G).
In conclusion, it was conjectured that the abnormalities of pancreatic endocrine function observed in rats subjected to CCl
4 treatment were closely related to the pathophysiological conditions of impaired liver cells.
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