Abstract
The effect of liver injury on the amount and distribution of the liver lipids has been the subject of a limited amount of investigation, with a view to gaining a better understanding of the relation between the phospholipids and the other fatty constituents of that organ. Theis1 found for the normal liver tissue of beef, rabbits and humans that the relation between the phospholipid and neutral fat is quite constant and may be expressed as an equilibrium, 55 to 60% phospholipid, 45 to 40% neutral fat, an equilibrium which is readily displaced as a result of fatty degeneration, insulin administration and disease. The abnormal organs seldom showed either less or more total lipid than the normal tissue but the percentage of phospholipid was always less. Since results obtained in this laboratory indicated that the ratio of phospholipid to neutral fat for normal liver tissue is about 72% to 22%, higher than that reported by Theis, it was felt that this problem deserved further study.
The white rat was used as the experimental animal and the effect of chloroform poisoning, insulin administration and fungus infection (Aspergillus and Sporothrix) on the amount and distribution of the liver lipids was determined. The experiments were carried out on pairs of litter mates of the same sex and approximately the same weight, one serving as the control and the other as the experimental animal. The rats were killed by a blow on the back of the head and the livers removed immediately.
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