Cytochemical investigations of fats and lipids in hepatic cells in toxic and alimentary fatty degeneration of the liver in rabbits

Summary

Phospholipids were detected in the epithelial hepatic cells cytochemically by the MacManus reaction. Cytological and cytochemical alimentary cholesterol infiltration of the liver and toxic fatty degeneration of the liver was also detected in the rabbits. Fine vacuoles and a positive Schultz reaction are found in the former, and large coarse vacuoles and a positive Sudan III reaction were found in the latter. In both toxic fatty degeneration of the liver and alimentary cholesterol infiltration, the phospholipids of the epithelial hepatic cells decrease. The reduction of phospholipids in toxic fatty degeneration is evidently the primary cause, leading first to lipid and then to fatty decomposition, whereas in alimentary cholesterol infiltration, the reduction of phospholipids is secondary, and is due to the depressive effect of cholesterol. In toxic hepatic fatty degeneration, choline causes the disappearance of neutral fat from the liver, and a rise in the phospholipid content in both the liver and blood, but at the same time there is a marked protein dystrophy; this effect is likely to limit its application in medical practice. Simultaneous administration of substances for the prevention of protein dystrophy is not recommended.