FUNCTIONAL-ACTIVITY OF HUMAN HEPATOCYTES UNDER TRAUMATIC DISEASE

Absorption and fluorescent cytophotometry techniques were applied to s tudies of RNA as well as of total glycogen and its fractions as the pa rameters of functional activity of the hepatocytes in patients with se vere mechanical trauma, both with and without autointoxication (AI). S lides were stained with gallocyanine-chromalums to determine the RNA c ontent and were processed by the fluorescent PAS-reaction for the glyc ogen content. To trace the dynamics of RNA and glycogen contents in th e liver punction biopsies were done in the same patients. A quick incr ease in the RNA content took place in both groups of patients at the f irst period (within the first 3 days) of traumatic disease. At the sec ond period of disease the hepatocyte RNA content in patients without A I was found to decrease up to the initial level whereas that in patien ts with AI increased on the average by 36% of the initial values. The total glycogen content in hepatocytes of all the patients changed insi gnificantly in the course of disease but its labile fraction in patien ts with AI decreased to 70% of the total. The increase of hepatocyte s ynthetic activity and the maintenance of the high glycogen level are i ndicative of the large compensatory potential of the liver that enable s it to carry an intensive functional load under AI conditions.