Lobular and cellular patterns of early hepatic glycogen deposition in the rat as observed by light and electron microscopic radioautography after injection of 3H-galactose.
Very low hepatic glycogen levels are achieved by overnight fasting of adrenalectomized (ADX) rats. Subsequent injection of dexamethasone (DEX), a synthetic glucocorticoid, stimulates marked increases in glycogen synthesis. Using this system and injecting 3H-galactose as a glycogen precursor 1 hr prior to sacrifice, the intralobular and intracellular patterns of labeled glycogen deposition were studied by light (LM) and electron (EM) microscopic radioautography. LM radioautography revealed that 1 hr after DEX treatment, labeling patterns for both periportal and centrilobular hepatocytes resembled those in rats with no DEX treatment: 18% of the hepatocytes were unlabeled, and 82% showed light labeling. Two hours after treatment with DEX, 14% of the hepatocytes remained unlabeled, and 78% were lightly labeled; however, 8% of the cells, located randomly throughout the lobule, were intensely labeled. An increased number of heavily labeled cells (26%) appeared 3 hr after DEX treatment; and by 5 hr 91% of the hepatocytes were intensely labeled. Label over the periportal cells at this time was aggregated, whereas centrilobular cells displayed dispersed label. EM radioautographs showed that 2 to 3 hr after DEX injection initial labeling of hepatocytes, regardless of their intralobular location, occurred over foci of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) and small electron-dense particles of presumptive glycogen, and in areas of SER and distinct glycogen particles. After 5 hrs of treatment with DEX, the intracellular distribution of label reflected the glycogen patterns characteristic of periportal or centrilobular regions.
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D005690:Galactose; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014316:Tritium
D014316:Tritium; D006003:Glycogen; D005690:Galactose