Effect of glucocorticoids on α-fetoprotein synthesis and liver structure of mice with acute carbon tetrachloride poisoning

Experiments on male C57BL mice showed that inhalation of CCl₄ for 15 min in a concentration of 0.05 ml/4 liters air causes severe degenerative changes in the liver with features of necrobiosis. However, phenomena of regeneration and cell infiltration arise as early as after 24 h and are accompanied by the secretion of -fetoprotein into the blood stream. After 4 days the foci of necrobiosis disappear and are totally replaced by lymphocytes with large hepatocytes at the periphery. Processes of regeneration in animals receiving hydrocortisone (20 mg/kg) or dexamethasone (2 mg/kg) therapeutically or prophylactically were less marked and the number of animals producing -fetoprotein was reduced from 92 to 60–65%.Department of Pharmacology, Astrakhan Medical Institute. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. V. Smol'yannikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 2, pp. 151–153, February, 1977.     

Effect of carbon tetrachloride on RNA metabolism in the rat liver

The effect of systematic administration of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) to rats on the RNA content in the liver and the intensity of incorporation of the labeled precursor (uridine-H³) into it was investigated. Comparison of the results of morphological and biochemical studies revealed two consecutive stages of the toxic process, terminating in the formation of septal fibrosis. The sharpest changes in rapid RNA turnover in the rat liver were observed during the first 3 months of action of the toxic agent. The disturbance of metabolism also was reflected in a lowered RNA level and changes in the nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio in the tissue of the affected liver.Laboratory of Biochemistry and of Chemical Carcinogenic Agents, N. N. Petrov Research Institute of Oncology, Ministry of Health of the USSR. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. I. Serebrov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 81, No. 5, pp. 543–545, May, 1976     

Effect of enteral oxygen therapy on liver function in acute degeneration

The effect of enteral oxygen therapy was studied in rats with acute degeneration of the liver caused by CCl₄. Intragastric injection of oxygen foam reduced the severity of poisoning and led to more rapid and complete recovery of the intensity of bile secretion, synthesis of primary bile acids, and their conjugation with amino acids, and improved the stabilizing properties of the bile.Department of Pharmacology, Ternopol' Medical Institute. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR S. V. Anichkov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 84, No. 10, pp. 419–421, October, 1977.     

Expression of an unusual estrogen-binding protein in the liver of androgenized adult female rats during liver regeneration after carbon tetrachloride poisoning

The expression of an unusual estrogen-binding protein induced in the liver of ovariectomized adult rats by androgen was greatly reduced after their pericentrally located hepatocytes were poisoned with carbon tetrachloride, but was partially restored in the course of subsequent liver regeneration. It is suggested that the androgen program established in the periportal hepatocytes of postpubertal animals is defective. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 122, No. 7, pp. 28–31, July, 1996     

Effect of an atherogenic diet on age differences in cholesterol biosynthesis in the rat liver

After intraperitoneal injection of radioactive sodium acetate into rats of two age groups (6–8 and 28–32 months) the dynamics of cholesterol biosynthesis in the liver was observed to be slower in the older animals. The specific liver cholesterol activity of the older rats was lower at the maximum of uptake of the label than in the younger rats. An atherogenic diet for 20 days (0.25 g cholesterol/100 g body weight) led to an increase in the total cholesterol content but to inhibition of its biosynthesis in the liver, and this effect was most marked in the younger rats. Continued administration of cholesterol depressed its biosynthesis still more, especially in the older animals.Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Institute of Gerontology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Kiev. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. N. Gorev.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 2, pp. 150–151, February, 1977.     

Effect of chalone and antichalone on free radical processes in rat liver

Effect of the proliferative regulators chalone and antichalone on the free radical system is studied on isolated and perfused rat liver under normal conditions and after ammonium chloride load (5 mM). It is shown that chaone suppressed both lipid peroxidation and antiradical system, while antichalone exhibits opposite effects on these processes. Ammonium chloride abolishes the effect of antichalone and does not change the effect produced by chalone. A hypothesis is proposed that specific function of the organ predominates over its response to local regulatory stimuli. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 125, No. 2, pp. 224–226, February, 1998     

Effect of parenteral administration of exogenous cytochrome c on cytochrome content in the liver of rabbits with chronic carbon tetrachloride poisoning

Administration of exogenous cytochrome c to rabbits with chronic poisoning prevented the decrease in the content of cytochrome c in homogenates and of cytochromesa+a ₃, b, and c+c₁ in the mitochondria of the liver and promoted restoration of the normal histological structure of the organ.Laboratory of Blood Substitutes and Preparations, Research Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Ministry of Health of the RSFSR, Leningrad. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR V. S. Il'in.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 82, No. 10, pp. 1215–1216, October, 1976.     

Electron-microscopic autoradiographic investigation of intracellular RNA synthesis in the mouse cerebral cortex

Electron-autoradiographic investigation of DNA synthesis in mouse cerebral cortical neurons showed the highest concentration of label in the nucleolus. Many grains of silver were concentrated above the nucleoplasm. The content of radioactive substances in the cytoplasm of the neurons 2.5 h after injection of uridine-5-³H into the animals was lower than in other types of cells after the same length of contact with the labeled precursor. A considerable difference was observed in the number of grains of silver above serial sections of a single nucleolus and in the character of distribution of the label in neurons situated side by side.Department of Pathological Anatomy, A. V. Vishnevskii Institute of Surgery, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. V. Smol'yannikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 3, pp. 364–366, March, 1977.     

Effect of potassium orotate on the reversibility of cirrhotic changes and regeneratory manifestations in rat liver

The use of potassium orotate for the treatment of liver cirrhosis led to a significant increase in the relative volume of the organ vessels, appearance of subcellular signs of derepression of the regeneratory sites of hepatocyte nuclear heterochromatin in pseudolobules, metabolic activation of nucleic and protein metabolism, resorption of collagen in spaces of Disse and septae by activation of the hepatocyte collagenolytic function and development of ultrastructural regenerative signs in hepatocytes. In the hepatocytes of the regeneration nucleoli, signs of increase of their specific function appeared, presumably compensating for their absence in intracellular regeneration of cells in part of pseudolobules. Translated fromByullenten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 126, No. 12, pp. 687–692. December, 1998     

Metabolism in perfused rat lived at different terms after short-term hyperthermia

The metabolic state of rat liver was studiedin vivo 1, 6, and 18 h after single hyperthermia (42°C). It was shown that intracellular compensatory reactions involved in restoration of the energy state and realization of endogenous cytoprotective mechanisms play a role during recovery. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 129, No. 4, pp. 414–416, April, 2000     

Changes in rat liver mitochondria after bilateral subdiaphragmatic vagotomy

Changes in the liver mitochondria of rats after bilateral subdiaphragmatic vagotomy were studied. Two stages were distinguished in the dynamics of the response of the mitochondrial system to denervation. During the first stage (0.5–3 days after vagotomy) reversible functional disturbances due to postoperative stress took place in the mitochondria. The second stage (7–60 days after denervation) is characterized by more marked structural and functional changes with some common features with those observed in hypoxia and resulting from vagotomy itself.Department of Histology, Therapeutic Faculty, N. I. Pirogov Second Moscow Medical Institute. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR S. S. Debov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 4, pp. 420–422, April, 1977.     

Immunohistochemical localization of somatotropin receptors in rat liver cells. Effect of sex and hormonal status

Peculiarities of cell and tissue distribution of somatotropin receptors in liver cells of male rats and intact, pregnant, and estrogenized female rats is studied using an indirect immunohistochemical method. Experiments reveal equal and positively regulated by female hormones expression of somatotropin receptors in all hepatocytes. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 124, No. 10, pp. 432–435, October, 1997     

Significance of adenylate cyclase system of the liver in its chronic diseases

The activity of adenylate cyclase in the hepatocyte plasma membranes, content of cAMP, and cAMP/cGMP ratio in the liver and blood plasma are decreased in patients with chronic liver diseases (fatty dystrophy, chronic hepatitis, and cirrhosis). This decrease depends on the disease severity and is most pronounced in cirrhosis. The sensitivity of liver adenylate cyclase to insulin and glucagon is changed. It is concluded that disorders in the adenylate cyclase system are an important molecular mechanism in the pathogenesis of chronic liver diseases. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Medistiny, Vol. 124, No. 4, pp. 450–453, April 1998     

Ultrastructural analysis of liver biopsy specimens in chronic hepatitis and hepatopathy

Three types of morphogenesis of a chronic general pathological process in the liver are distinguished: active hepatitis, hepatitis attended by a pronounced and early tendency toward sclerosis, and hepatopathy, a morphological phenotype of parenchymal dystrophy in the absence of a stromal inflammatory component, which is defined as a syndrome of regenerative-plastic insufficiency. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 9, pp. 306–310, September, 1994 Presented by D. S. Sarkisov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Effect of ozone on the liver in experimental chronic hepatitis

Short-term administration of ozonized physiological solution to rats with chronic toxic hepatitis reduces the content of total lipids in the liver tissue, activates antioxidant enzymes, normalizes the level of diene conjugates, and reliably increases adenosine nucleotides, the number of normal hepatocytes being increased 2.2-fold. The data suggest that ozone can be used as a stimulator of regeneration of the pathologically altered liver. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 122, No. 8, pp. 238–240, August, 1996     

A quantitative study of dehydrogenase activity of hepatocytes in systemic endotoxinemia

A histophotometric study of the liver dehydrogenase activity reveals the nature of changes of enzymatic homeostasis and its periodicity in the dynamics of endotoxinemia in dogs. A compensatory reaction to lipopolysaccharide administration develops during the first two hours. A decrease of dehydrogenase and diaphorase activity and the development of structural damage to hepatocytes appear later. It is shown that the activation of free-radical oxidation as well as an increase of the level of medium-sized molecules in the blood plasma play a key role in the pathogenesis of liver damage. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 119, No. 1, pp. 105–108, January, 1995 Presented by V. V. Kupriyanov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Morphohistochemical study of the rat placenta after exposure to carbon tetrachloride at different stages of pregnancy

Intraventricular injection of CCl₄ (0.3 ml/100 g body weight) into female rats causes marked injury to the tissues of the placenta and, in particular, to the chorionic epithelium of the labyrinthine portion, with maximal development of degenerative and necrobiotic changes on the 14th–16th day of pregnancy (if the poison is injected 48 h before sacrifice). An increase in the number of mitotically dividing epithelial cells is observed at all times and the dimensions of the nuclei and nucleoli of the cytotrophoblastic cells are increased on the 17th–18th day of intrauterine development of the fetus. Injection of CCl₄ leads to a decrease in the content of histochemically detectable glycogen in the cytoplasm of the chorionic epithelium and a decrease in the content of amylase-resistant glycoproteins, protein, and RNA in the degenerating cells.Group for Fetoplacental Pathology, Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Siberian Branch, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. Central Research Laboratory, Novosibirsk Medical Institute. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR V. D. Kaznacheev.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 82, No. 8, pp. 1007–1009, August, 1976.     

DNA content and size of cell nuclei in the regenerating rat liver

The DNA content in single nuclei and the size of the nuclei were investigated in the intact and regenerating rat liver from 18 h to 21 days after partial hepatectomy. The results of the measurements show that the mean DNA content per nucleus in the intact rat liver is 6.5 pg, and that most nuclei are about equal in size to the diploid nucleus (42.5 ²). DNA synthesis began in the regenerating liver before 18 h after the operation. By 24 h the DNA content in most nuclei of the experimental animals was twice that in the intact rats. This shows that the first wave of synthesis involved 85–90% of the liver cells. After mitosis, which in most cells took place before 36 h after partial hepatectomy weaker waves of DNA synthesis followed, after approximately 42 and 60 h.Department of Normal Anatomy and Department of General Biology, P. J. Safarik University, Kosice, Czechoslovakia. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. P. Avtsyn.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 8, pp. 369–371, March, 1977.     

Effect of adrenergic receptor blocking agents on mitotic activity of the regenerating liver

The -adrenergic blocking drug phentolamine was injected into male rats 1 h before resection of 70% of the liver and again 24 h after the operation. Phentolamine inhibited mitotic activity of the regenerating liver. Two injections of propranolol, a -adrenergic blocking drug, at the same times caused an increase in mitotic activity. It was concluded that adrenalin, which excites -adrenergic receptors, may inhibit regeneration. By its action through -adrenergic receptors, however, adrenalin stimulates this process.Department of Physiology of Animals, N. G. Chernyshevskii Saratov University. Central Scientific-Research Laboratory, Saratov Medical Institute. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. P. Avtsyn.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 82, No. 11, pp. 1373–1374, November, 1976.