Inorganic phosphate and Na⁺ increases in liver after partial hepatectomy

¹ Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

After removal of two-thirds of the liver, no changes occur in the hepatic content of K⁺, Ca⁺⁺, Mn⁺⁺, but liver P₁ and Na⁺ rise. The increase in P₁ (20–30%) is more than half maximal 5 min after the operation, and with Na⁺ (about 30%) the rise is complete at this time. These increases appear to represent intracellular rather than extracellular changes. They are related to the amount of liver removed and, judging by the inability of puromycin to affect the ion rises, they are not dependent on prior protein synthesis. Permanent ligation and ligation for 10 min of the portal branch to the 67% portion of the liver causes an early increase in the P₁ content of the 33% part of the liver, but the Na⁺ rise occurs only after a delay of about 4.5 hr. Neither the P₁ nor the Na⁺ rise appears to be causally related to the changes in hepatic RNA synthesis and nuclear electrophoretic mobility that result from partial hepatectomy or ligation of the portal branch vessel.

Key Words: K⁺ content of liver • Ca⁺⁺ content of liver • Mn⁺⁺ content of liver • Co⁺⁺ content of liver • blood supply of liver • portal vein

Submitted on July 15, 1964