Studies on the Pathogenesis of Early Hepatic Changes after Endotoxin Treatment in the Rat (1) Changes in Hepatic Parenchymal Cells and Non-Parenchymal Cells Isolated Periodically after Endotoxin Treatment

The effects of endotoxin on the activities of lysosomal enzymes and mitochondrial latent ATPase, protein content, and cell viability were studied in the isolated Kupffer cells and parenchymal cells prepared after endotoxin treatment in the rat. Within 30 min after endotoxin treatmnt, the activities of β-glucuronidase, acid DNase and mitochondrial latent ATPase, and the protein content in Kupffer cells increased and such changes were dependent on the amount of endotoxin as reflected by the treatment. But no change was observed in parenchymal cells at that time. However, the changes of enzymes, the protein content and cell viability in parenchymal cells started 60 min after the initiation of endotoxin treatment and the changes became more apparent after 120 min. Accordingly, these results indicate that the early activation of the lysosomal enzmes and mitochondrial ATPase in the liver was derived from Kupffer cells and the changes of parenchymal cells appeared thereafter. This biochemical experiment described has clearly shown that the results pertain mostly early changes in Kupffer cells and parenchymal cells during endotoxemia because of the direct measurement of the isolated cells from the liver treated by endotoxin in vivo