Abstract
Summary
An apparatus has been devised to perfuse livers under conditions which simulate those existing in the body. It consists of two identical perfusion sets so the metabolism of two livers can be compared under the same conditions. The perfused liver continues to produce plasma protein for 10 hours. After this time there is no vacuolation or necrotic change in any part of the liver; only slight atrophic changes in hepatic cells are present. A replacement of the blood plasma of the perfusate by Ringer-Locke solution caused an increase in plasma protein production and a decrease in the synthesis of liver tissue protein. When PVP was added to Ringer-Locke solution the production of plasma protein decreased. In both perfused liver and in vivo globulin appears to have a higher rate of synthesis than albumin. Gamma-globulin shows a faster turnover rate than albumin and alpha-globulin shows a still faster rate.
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