A Cytochemical Study of Phospholipids, Glycogen and Mitochondrial Alterations in Livers of Rats Following Cortisone Administration and Long-term Fasting

Abstract

The effects of cortisone administration and of long-term fasting on liver cells of rats were studied cytochemically following the applications of the acid hematein test for the demonstration of phospholipids, the periodic acid Schiff reaction for glycogen, and the Regaud's method for staining the mitochondria. Special attention was paid to the relation between the stainability by acid hematein of the mitochondria and on their morphology under experimental conditions.The stainability of cytoplasmic constituents, probably mitochondria, after the acid hematein test seemed to be closely associated with the morphology and the chemical constitution of the mitochondria. The mitochondria of a fine-spun form caused by the cortisone administration were not stained with acid hematein, although they were rendered detectable by means of Regaud's method of staining. With the above exception, there is shown, in respect to staining features of the liver cells, a similarity between Regaud's method and the acid hematein test.The mitochondria of the cortisone liver showed reduced affinity to acid hematein as compared with those of the normal liver.The author wishes to offer his sincere thanks to Professer S. Makino for his kind guidance and for his improvement of this manuscript for publication.