Interrelationships between the metabolism of thyroid hormones and the liver. Part one.

The paper deals with the biosynthesis of the thyroid hormones and with their metabolism, which takes place in many tissues, mainly in the liver. The liver exerts effects on thyroid hormone distribution, metabolism and disposal. It supplies the thyroglobulin--storage form of thyroid hormones--and the plasma proteins with which they are bound.

Renin and aldosterone reactions after acute hemorrhage.

Among the pressor homeostatic mechanisms that appear after hemorrhage are renin-angiotensin response and aldosterone hypersecretion. Plasma renin activity (PRA) may decrease initially but increase always after a certain interval. Aldosterone secretion increases or decreases in a higher or lower degree. It is generally accepted that Ang II is one of the principal factors that stimulates aldosterone secretion, but from our material it resulted that after hemorrhage it evolves independently. This discrepancy is more evident if hemorrhage is followed by bilateral nephrectomy (BN), when PRA significantly decreases but aldosterone secretion increases. After a simple BN, PRA decreases significantly but aldosterone plasma concentration increases, a discrepancy that is more evident if BN are followed by hemorrhage. Thus, it appears that after hemorrhage, the aldosterone secretion is not stimulated by the renin-angiotensin system.

Biochemical correlations between some organs and the liver after acute ethanol intoxication in rats.

The influence of different doses of ethanol on the phospholipid metabolism in rat was investigated with 32P. Male rats received by oral intubation a single intoxicating dose of ethanol (3.5 or 5.8 g/kg body wt) as a 45% solution. The corresponding control rats received an equal volume of water. The rats were killed at 2, 4, 6, 24, 48 and 72 hours. The liver, brain, kidney and spleen responses depend on the administered dose and vary with time.

Phospholipid variation in acute ethanol intoxication in rats.

The effects of acute ethanol intoxication in different rat organs were studied with 32P. Since 32P incorporation in all compounds of cell membrane formation faithfully illustrate their structural and functional integrity, levels of 32P labelled phospholipids, from different organs were investigated in acute experiments. Researches were carried out on male rats, by administering doses of 3.5 and 5.8 g/kg body wt., and killing them at 2, 4, 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours. The response of the liver, brain, kidneys and spleen depends on the administered dose and varies with time.

Serum alphaphetoprotein in chronic hepatitis. Scintigraphic correlations.

On studying a number of 59 patients with chronic active hepatitis and with hepatic cirrhosis, with 37% and 41% cases respectively our research-works have proved increased serum AFP concentrations varying between 30-45 ng/ml, their values being much larger in active hepatic cirrhosis. The significant increase in aminotransferase and bilirubin has been correlated with a more severe stage of the hepatic disease. The gamma glutamyltranspeptidase (GGTP) assays for 9 of the 17 cases with active chronic hepatitis and for 17 cases with alcoholic hepatitis have shown a 6-15 times increase of this enzyme as compared to the other cases. Very high values of AFP, ranging between 300-900 ng/ml, have been found in the hepatic adenocirrhosis cases. A certain correlation between the AFP modifications and the scintigraphy has been found in 5 of the cases with malignant changes, in contrast with the AFP low and sporadic increase in the case of other gastrointestinal tract tumors. The scintigraphic modifications have been evident with low or multiple lacunary fixations, in considerable sizes and forms, with irregular edges, their dimensions, depending upon the disease evolution stage.

Glycoproteins behaviour in ankylopoietic spondylarthritis.

Glycoproteins behaviour in ankylopoietic spondylarthritis (SA) is studied by dosing sialic acid in blood and urine on 12 patients in comparison with 10 rheumatoid polyarthritis (RP) and 39 other nonspecific osteo-articular disease cases; the values are referred to those found on normal persons. A significant statistic increase of the sialic acid is found in SA. There are also comparatively studied, on the same lots of patients, the ratio albumin/globulin (A/G), the values of the proteinaemia, of the globulins and the blood sedimentation rate (BSR).