Quantitative analysis of glycogen content in hepatocytes of human liver allograft after ischemia and reperfusion

In order to examine glucose metabolism in liver grafts after cold ischemia and reperfusion, the heterogeneous lobular distribution pattern of glycogen content was studied using histochemical quantitative analysis. In most of the cases, this heterogeneous pattern of glycogen was observed after preservation and reperfusion. However, a 42% reduction of glycogen content, expressed as the ratio between stained surface and total surface of liver biopsies, was observed in biopsies after reperfusion. Moreover, both periportal and centrilobular hepatocytes showed a significant decrease in mean optical density after reperfusion (18% and 25%, respectively). The comparison of our results to early postoperative liver function tests and cold ischemia times showed no significant correlation (p<0.05).