Hitomi Karube

Inhibitory effect of noradrenaline on acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride in the rat

The effect of exogenous noradrenaline (NA) on acute liver injury was investigated in rats receiving a single dose of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Animals were divided into the following groups: (I) no treatment, used for plasma catecholamine assay; (II) received CCl4 only; (III) treated with CCl4 plus noradrenaline (NA). Plasma levels of catecholamine (CA) were elevated in both groups II and III, particularly in NA: average value at 33 h after the exposure of CCl4 increased to 290-fold of the control in group II and to 513-fold in group III. Subsequently, the levels of NA decreased with time, and were comparatively well-preserved in the rats of group III. Hepatic changes observed in the animals of group II were as follows: destruction with reduced number in rough endoplasmic reticulum; destruction and disappearance of cristae in mitochondria, and numerous fat droplets (shown by electron microscopy); histologically observed marked centrilobular necrosis with steatosis followed by progression with time; and microangiographically demonstrated deranged intrahepatic microvasculature. By contrast, these changes were successfully prevented by NA treatment (group III). Furthermore, histologically observed centrilobular change was restored with time. It was concluded that, in a deranged state, NA takes a form quite dissimilar to ordinary state: Na exerts for hapatoprotective and is highly involved in liver injury.

Abstracts of selected papers presented at the 30th Annual meeting of the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology

S OF SELECTED PAPERS PRESENTED AT THE 30TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE JAPANESE SOCIETY OF GASTROENTEROLOGY October 20-22, 1988 -Kagoshima, Japan Chairman: Shuji HASHIMOTO, M.D.