title: The influence of total hepatectomy on cerebral energy state, ammonia-related amino acids of the brain and plasma amino acids in the rat.
abstract: The influence of total hepatectomy on cerebral energy state, ammonia-related amino acids of the brain tissue and plasma amino acids was studied in anaesthetized rats after total hepatectomy. The hepatectomy was performed with the aid of a microsurgical three-stage procedure. In the first stage, division of the inferior vena cava was performed. In the second stage 4 weeks later a porta-caval anastomosis was constructed, followed after 1 week by a total hepatectomy. The brain energy state, defined as the concentrations of phosphocreatine, ATP, ADP and AMP, was unchanged 4 h after the hepatectomy. Plasma amino acids did not differ significantly between hepatectomized and shunted control rats. On the other hand, clear-cut increases in the concentrations of glutamine, and decreases in the concentrations of glutamate and aspartate, were observed in the fronto-parietal part of the cerebral cortex and the brain stem. These changes might explain the minor manifestations of cerebral dysfunction in the early phase of the hepatectomized state.
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000378:metabolism; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005971:Glutamates / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006498:Hepatectomy; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D005971:Glutamates; D005973:Glutamine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D000641:Ammonia; D000409:Alanine