Histochemical, Biochemical and Ultrastructural Studies on the Liver of Fasted Rats

✍ Scribed by Krustev, L. P. ;Tashev, T. A. ;Popov, A. A. ;Apostolov, J. Z. ;Borov, B. J. ;Stefanova, M. S.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1976
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 815 KB
• Volume: 20
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0027-769X
• DOI: 10.1002/food.19760200605

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The subjection of rats with body weight 150 ± 10 g to complete starvation for a period of four days leads to a diminution of total protein, total lipids, blood sugar, body weight and liver weight.

Lipid dystrophy develops in the liver, as well as deposition of lipofuscin‐like pigment and atrophy. Lipid dystrophy and deposition of pigment increase during the first three days and abruptly decrease during the fourth. Atrophy is a progressive process.

The delineation of three phases in the atrophic — dystrophic process is possible with the application of histological, enzyme‐histochemical, morphometric, biochemical and electron microscopic methods: Phase I (first 24 hours) — a common adaptive phase.

It engages both the liver, which must utilize the increased nutrients from the organism depots and the homeostatic mechanisms of the organism as a whole. Phase II — (second and third 24 hours) — alterative‐restorative, manifested markedly at the liver parenchimal level and especially by autophagic lysosome function. Phase III — (fourth 24 hours) — alterative. Exhaustion of adaptive‐restorative liver process (and the hepatocyte in particular), and the organism as a whole as well.