STUDIES ON THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE LIVER

Abstract

The specific dynamic action of amino acids administered intravenously was within normal limits in dogs that had had the 2 operations preliminary to removal of the liver (reverse Eck fistula with ligation of the vena cava and later ligation of the portal vein). Following removal of the liver the level of O consumption is practically unchanged, provided that sufficient time is allowed for the animal to recover from the ether anesthesia completely, which usually requires about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hrs. Following hepatectomy the respiratory quotient shows spontaneous and persistent elevation. The intravenous injection of the amino acids, alanine and glycocoll, into the hepatectomized animal fails to produce elevation in the level of consumption of O but does produce further elevation of the respiratory quotient; the occasional slight increase in total calories, due to the increase in the calorific value of O resulting from the elevation of the respiratory quotient, is within the limits of experimental variation. The absence of the specific dynamic action of amino acids in the hepatectomized animal is not the result of a low level of blood sugar, since the same result is obtained when the blood sugar is normal. These experiments suggest that the specific dynamic action of amino acids is not the result of direct stimulation brought about by the presence of unchanged amino acids in the tissues.