[Phospholipid composition and oxidative phosphorylation in liver mitochondria in hepatitis]

Phospholipid composition and oxidative phosphorylation were studied in liver mitochondria of rats with experimental chronic hepatitis. The hepatitis was simulated by means of two hepatotropic drugs--heliotrin and CCl4. Content of phosphatidyl inositol was decreased and that of phosphatidic acid--increased in the hepatitis independently of the nature of the agent inducing the disease. At the same time, content of lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine was decreased but content of lysocardiolipine and lysophosphatidic acid was increased. In CCl4-induced hepatitis content of cardiolipine and sphingomyelin was decreased, whereas after the treatment with heliotrin content of cardiolipine in liver tissue was unaltered and that of sphingomyelin was increased. Content of lysophosphatidyl choline was considerably increased in CCl4-hepatitis but it was only slightly altered after the treatment with heliotrin. The most pronounced alterations in the phospholipid spectrum and oxidative phosphorylation were found in liver mitochondria in the CCl4-induced hepatitis.