THE RAT HEPATOCYTE AFTER EXPOSURE TO HIGH ALTITUDE: STRUCTURAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGES

¹ Instituto de Histología y Embriología Cátedra de Fisiología - Cátedra de Biofísica Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. U.N.C., Mendoza, Argentina

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.

Note:

This work was supported by a grant from the National Public Health, GM 08496-07. The authors wish to thank Mr L. Gutiérrez and Miss E. Estrella for their valuable technical assistance.