Functional hepatocyte heterogeneity in glutamate, aspartate and alpha-ketoglutarate uptake: A histoautoradiographical study

Journal Article · Thu Jan 31 23:00:00 EST 1991 · Hepatology (Baltimore); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.1840130208· OSTI ID:6061022

Stoll, B; McNelly, S; Buscher, H P; Haeussinger, D ^[1]

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1. Medizinische Universitaetsklinik, Freiburg (Germany, F.R.)

({sup 3}H)glutamate, ({sup 3}H)alpha-ketoglutarate or ({sup 3}H)aspartate was injected in physiological concentrations into antegrade (from portal to hepatic vein) or retrograde (from hepatic to portal vein) perfused rat liver, and the tissue distribution of radioactivity was studied by histoautoradiography. Independent of the direction of perfusion, radioactivity was accumulated in a small perivenous liver parenchymal cell population, which surrounded the terminal hepatic venules as a layer of about two to five cells thick. In contrast, accumulation of radioactivity in periportal hepatocytes was low and sometimes not detectable. This distribution pattern roughly resembled that described for the immunohistochemical distribution of glutamine synthetase in liver. The present histoautoradiographic findings demonstrate a predominant uptake of vascular glutamate, aspartate and ketoglutarate into a small perivenous cell population. They confirm previous label incorporation studies in the metabolically intact liver, demonstrating an almost exclusive uptake of vascular glutamate and alpha-ketoglutarate into perivenous glutamine synthetase containing hepatocytes. In addition, evidence is presented suggesting that perivenous uptake of alpha-ketoglutarate may be one determinant for hepatic glutamine synthesis, at least under the experimental conditions used here.

• OSTI ID: 6061022
• Journal Information: Hepatology (Baltimore); (USA), Journal Name: Hepatology (Baltimore); (USA) Vol. 13:2; ISSN HPTLD; ISSN 0270-9139
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550501* -- Metabolism-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMINO ACIDS
ANIMAL CELLS
ASPARTIC ACID
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
BODY
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTION
ENZYMES
GLANDS
GLUTAMIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LIGASES
LIVER
LIVER CELLS
MEMBRANE TRANSPORT
METABOLISM
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PERFUSED ORGANS
SOMATIC CELLS
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS