A histochemical study about changes in rat liver plasma membrane enzyme activities after galactosamine administration

A quantitative histochemical study of 5'-nucleotidase activity in rat liver after ischaemia

The lead salt method of Wachstein and Meisel15 has been applied using incubation media containing polyvinyl alcohol for the localization and quantification of 5'-nucleotidase (E.C.3.1.3.5) activity in cryostat sections from rat liver after ischaemia in vitro and ischaemia in vivo followed by different periods of re-perfusion. 5'-Nucleotidase activity at the bile canaliculi, especially in the pericentral areas, had already decreased after 60 min of ischaemia in vitro, although the total activity as measured densitometrically was not changed. After 120-240 min of ischaemia, a significant decrease of the total 5'-nucleotidase activity was found. At that stage, signs of irreversible cell damage were recognized. Short periods of re-perfusion (1 h) after ischaemia in vivo induced a decreased bile canalicular 5'-nucleotidase activity throughout the entire liver, but a restoration after longer periods of re-perfusion was observed (5, 24, and 48 h). Necrotic areas recognized by a decreased lactate dehydrogenase activity after all periods of re-perfusion showed decreased total 5'-nucleotidase activities. A correlation was observed between the decrease in bile canalicular 5'-nucleotidase activity and the disappearance of microvilli of the bile canaliculi. It is concluded that a decrease in the bile canalicular 5'-nucleotidase activity can be used as a very sensitive marker for ischaemic liver cell damage. Assessment of the irreversibility of the cell injury has to be determined using additional parameters such as a decreased lactate dehydrogenase activity.

Plasma ornithine carbamyl transferase level as an indicator of ischaemic injury of rat liver

The activity of ornithine carbamyl transferase (OCT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) in serum has been correlated with the extent of necrosis 24 h after different periods of ischaemia in rat liver. The extent of necrosis has been quantified as the volume density of necrosis in the total ischaemic liver lobes using tetranitro BT. The GPT-activity in serum is maximal between 1 and 5 h after different periods of ischaemia, whereas OCT reaches its maximum between 5 and 12 h after ischaemia. The total amount of leaked enzyme-activity as well as the peak value give a linear correlation with the extent of necrosis for OCT and GPT. There is a difference between the character of these two enzymes in that a small leakage of GPT does not indicate liver cell necrosis later on. However, the appearance of OCT in the blood, an enzyme localized in the mitochondrial matrix, has a predictive value for the extent of necrosis, likely to occur later on. GPT, an enzyme from the cytoplasm, can also occur in the blood during the reversible stage of liver cell damage.

Biochemical and ultrastructural changes in rat liver plasma membranes after temporary ischemia

In this study we have attempted to correlate reversible and irreversible cell damage induced by in vivo or in vitro ischemia with characteristics of the plasma membranes of liver parenchymal cells, as detected biochemically and ultrastructurally. The effects of in vivo or in vitro ischemia appeared to be similar. It was virtually impossible to isolate a substantial membrane fraction from ischemic livers, probably because of changes in the physical properties of the membranes by ischemia. The isolated membranes of ischemic liver cells show ultrastructural changes including the occurrence of many vesicular profiles and alterations in junctional complexes expressed by extended and smudged electron densities along the lateral surfaces. The microvilli of the bile canaliculi disappeared after only 15 min ischemia and cytoplasmic densities associated with junctional complexes also appeared extended and smudged. These changes correspond with the alterations observed in ischemic isolated membranes. After 30 min in vivo ischemia the activity of 5'-mononucleotidase used as a marker enzyme for plasma membranes, decreased by 75%, whereas the activity of thymidine 5'-phosphodiesterase was reduced only slightly. The changes in these enzyme activities were more prominent after in vitro ischemia than after in vivo. The morphological and biochemical changes observed in rat hepatocyte plasma membrane during the early stage of injury have no value in predicting the occurrence of necrosis in a later phase of the process since profound changes occur in plasma membrane properties after even short periods of ischemia (i.e. during the reversible stage).