Inhibitory effects of jaundice on regenerating liver.

The effects of partial hepatectomy on the energy charge (ATP + 1/2ADP/ATP + ADP + AMP) and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation were studied in normal and jaundiced rats. In normal rats and energy charge levels of the remnant liver decreased only slightly with a rise in the phosphorylative activity of the mitochondria at an early stage after hepatectomy, and then rapidly returned to normal. In jaundiced rats subjected to the common bile duct ligation the energy the energy charge levels of the liver decreased to approximately 0.800 from 0.849 of normal value, though their mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation was within normal limits. In jaundiced rats the energy charge levels of the remnant liver after partial hepatectomy decreased markedly without a return toward normal. The mitochondrial phosphorylative activity increased to only about 50% of hepatectomized normal rats after partial hepatectomy. More than 70% of jaundice rats died within 24 hours after partial hepatectomy. It was suggested that the jaundice inhibits an enhancement of ATP generation to provide sufficient energy for high energy demand rather than the enery-requiring biosynthetic process in an early process of liver regeneration.