Effect of single and repeated scalding on adenine nucleotides concentration in rat liver

Changes in ATP, ADP, AMP, and total adenine nucleotide (TAN) concentrations and in the adenylate energy charge (EC) were investigated in the livers of rats subjected to single and repeated scalding. Single scaldings were of two grades of severity: 20% (nonlethal) and 40% (lethal within 24 hr) of the total body surface area. A repeated scald (additional 20%) was inflicted on the intact skin of the opposite side of the body either 3 hr or 3 days after a nonlethal scald. The results suggest that the energy state of the liver is related to the severity of a single scald, that the EC at the moment of repeating the scald is important for survival, and that the changes in ATP, EC, and TAN following a repeated scald are qualitatively or quantitatively different from those after a single scald.