Effects of ischaemia on content of metabolites in rat liver and kidney in vivo

Abstract

1. The time-course of changes in content of intermediates of glycolysis in rat liver and kidney cortex after severance of blood supply was investigated. 2. The decline in content of ATP was more rapid in kidney (1.7–0.5μmol/g in 30s) than in liver (2.7–1.6μmol/g in 60s). In both tissues AMP and Pi accumulated. 3. Net formation of lactate was 1.7μmol/g during the second minute of ischaemia in liver from well-fed rats, 1.1μmol/g in liver from 48h-starved rats, and about 1.0μmol/g during the first 30s of ischaemia in kidney. Net formation of α-glycerophosphate was rapid, especially in liver. 4. In kidney the concentration of β-hydroxybutyrate rose, but that of α-oxoglutarate and acetoacetate decreased. 5. In both organs the concentrations of fructose diphosphate and triose phosphates increased during ischaemia and those of other phosphorylated C3 intermediates decreased. 6. The concentration of the hexose 6-phosphates rose rapidly during the first minute of ischaemia in liver, but decreased during renal ischaemia. 7. In kidney the content of glutamine fell after 2min of ischaemia, and that of ammonia and glutamate rose. 8. The redox states of the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial NAD couple in kidney cortex were similar to those in liver. 9. The regulatory role of glycogen phosphorylase, pyruvate kinase and phosphofructokinase is discussed in relation to the observed changes in the concentrations of the glycolytic intermediates.