The content of adenosine polyphosphates in fatty livers

Abstract

The content of adenosine phosphates in liver, kidney, heart and skeletal muscle was studied by 4 different methods in normal rats and in rats with fatty livers. The fatty infiltration of the liver was obtained by 3 procedures (treatment with carbon tetrachloride; treatment with white phosphorus; feeding on a diet deficient in choline). A marked decrease of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was found in fatty livers by all 4 methods of estimation. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) was increased. Decrease of ATP and increase of ADP occurred in the livers of treated animals before the beginning of fatty infiltration. ATP decreased slightly in the kidneys of treated animals, but only after long treatment. Histological examination of these kidneys showed cloudy swelling, tubular atrophy, hemorrhagic changes. No change was found in the ATP content in the heart or skeletal muscle. The concentration of adenosine phosphates was much decreased in mitochondria isolated from fatty livers. Mitochondria isolated from normal livers released more adenosine phosphates into the surrounding medium when they were suspended in water than when in isotonic sucrose. Mitochondria from fatty livers released about the same amount of adenosine phosphates both in hypotonic and in isotonic media. Possible explanations of the experimental results are discussed.