Enzyme histochemical studies of the preserved rat liver

The effect of depersolone, of the oxygenation of the perfusing solution and of phenoxybenzamine pretreatment has been studied in the isolated rat liver intermittently perfused with a solution containing low molecular weight dextran at 4 degrees C. The use in liver preservation of Collins' C3-solution and of a special albumin-containing solution was tested. The behaviour of acid and alkaline phosphatase, esterase, lactate dehydrogenase and adenosine triphosphatase in the preserved liver was followed by means of histochemical methods allowing semi-quantitative evaluation. Pretreatment with phenoxybenzamine and perfusion by an albumin-containing solution reduced the lesion of the liver, while prednisolone and oxygenation of the perfusion solution improved preserving effect only moderately.