The Relation of Oxygen Supply to Water Movement and to Urea Formation in Surviving Liver Tissue

Abstract

In a preceding publication (1) evidence was presented to show that surviving liver cells in the presence of oxygen produce urea and lose water, whereas with anoxia little, if any, urea is formed and water enters the ceils in considerable quantity. I t seemed probable that intracellular amino acids and substances derived from them-for example, arginine, ornithine and citrulline-can maintain a high intraceilular osmotic pressure but with formation of urea, leave the ceils. Kidney cells which form little, if any, urea undergo swelling both in the presence and absence of oxygen.The purpose of the present study has been to determine how a varied supply of oxygen influences the movement of water in surviving fiver tissue. The a t t e m p t has been made to imitate in vitro as closely as possible conditions present during life.

The Effect of Varied Oxygen Supply and of Food Intake on Water Movement in Surviving Liver Tissue

“…I n a preceding pubfication, evidence was cited to show that the movement of water in immersed slices of liver varied widely when liver tissue was obtained from animals in different stages of gastrointestinal digestion (1). I t was noted that liver slices from animals with stomach distended with food took up more water than those obtained from animals with advanced digestion and smaller stomach contents.…”

“…have been immersed in buffered Krebs-Ringer solution and exposed with rhythmic shaking to streaming oxygen with varied partial pressure. The procedure has been described in detail in the preceding publication (1). In liver slices, obtained from white rats at different intervals after the ingestion of food, changes in the water contents of the tissue have been measured during the period of immersion.…”

“…Hg and carbon dioxide with partial pressure of about 35 ram. Hg (1). With the progress of digestion, water movement within the corresponding liver slices varies widely (Table I, Fig.…”