[Experimental study on lipid metabolism after partial hepatectomy--with reference to mitochondrial function of the...

Lipid metabolism after hepatectomy was studied in normal rats and cirrhotic rats induced with injections of thioacetamide. In normal rats, the fat accumulation in regenerating livers was observed, which had a maximal peak at 24 hours after hepatectomy. It could be a result of mobilization of fatty acids from fat tissue accompanied with hyperglucagonemia after hepatectomy. Mitochondrial respiration in regenerating liver increased remarkably. Especially when palmitoylcarnitine was used as a substrate, both the respiratory index and ATP synthesis were high until 72 hours after hepatectomy. Mitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferase activity was also high. The increase of mitochondrial respiration with palmitoylcarnitine as a substrate was also observed in cirrhotic liver until 72 hours after hepatectomy. These results suggest that mobilization of fatty acids increases after hepatectomy and regenerating liver utilizes fatty acids as a main substrate for hepatic regeneration.