The gross chemical changes in the liver in dietetic necrosis

Abstract

Livers affected by acute necrosis show increased amts. of water as compared with livers from normal rats. Liver necrosis was induced in rats by feeding a low protein diet (protein intake was less than 500 mg./rat/day). Necrotic livers were found to have an increased wt., to be high in water content, 77.6% [plus or minus] 2.8, or 5.288 g. [plus or minus] 1.070/100 g. of body wt.; protein 0.946 g. [plus or minus] 0.121/100 g. body wt. and no glycogen as compared to normal livers which contained 70.6% [plus or minus] 1.6 or 3.222 g. [plus or minus] 0.476/100 g. of body wt. of water, 0.761 [plus or minus] 0.082 g./lOO g. body wt. of protein and A.260 g. [plus or minus] 0.053/100 g. of body wt. of glycogen. There is no relationship between fat content of livers and the development of necrosis. There is no increase in N.P.N. Livers with healed necrotic lesions do not show abnormalities. The increased wt. of necrotic livers is satisfactorily explained by increases of protein and water. The alteration in composition appears suddenly with the onset of cellular damage.