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THE RAT HEPATOCYTE AFTER EXPOSURE TO HIGH ALTITUDE: STRUCTURAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGES
Author(s) -
Burgos M. H.,
Zangheri E. O.,
Parisii I. M.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
quarterly journal of experimental physiology and cognate medical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1469-445X
pISSN - 0033-5541
DOI - 10.1113/expphysiol.1970.sp002050
Subject(s) - glycogen , endoplasmic reticulum , hepatocyte , lipid droplet , phospholipid , lobules of liver , cytoplasm , endocrinology , medicine , electron microscope , chemistry , mitochondrion , biology , fatty liver , lipid metabolism , biochemistry , physics , disease , membrane , optics , in vitro
One‐day‐old rats were exposed for 2 weeks in a low pressure chamber at a simulated altitude of 4,700 m. Then total esterified fatty acids, phospholipids and glycogen were determined in their livers, and electron microscopy of the liver cells was carried out. Normal rats of the same age were examined as controls. In the rats exposed to simulated high altitude, total esterified fatty acids were more than thrice the control value, phospholipid the same as the control value, and glycogen less than the control value. Their hepatocytes showed a marked increase in cytoplasmic lipid droplets, most pronounced near the central vein of the hepatic lobules; a marked diminution in rough endoplasmic reticulum; and generally absence of glycogen particles. Dense mitochondria of normal appearance were seen very closely apposed to the lipid droplets. Altitude appears to interfere with the normal development of the hepatocyte, which remains in a rather enzymatically immature stage.