[Functional and morphological characteristics of rat liver microvessels in hypokinesia]

The investigation was carried out on 86 white non-inbred male rats. Hypokinesia was produced by putting the animals into pencil-boxes for 1,2 and 4 weeks. The changes in specific volumes of various hepatic microvessels under hypokinesia and under hypokinesia combined with metyrapone administration were studied sterologically. NAD-diaphorase activity in hepatocytes and in the interlobular connective tissue was estimated photometrically. hypokinesia produces certain changes in the specific volume of all the hepatic microvessels studied, but the degree and character of the volumetric relations revealed between these microvessels are different. At metyrapone administration, the volumetric changes in various microvessels occur with greater regularity. The changes in NAD-diaphorase activity under the same conditions occur slower and by the end of the experiment the enzymatic activity returns to the initial level.