A cytophotometric study of the RNA and glycogen content of human hepatocytes at different stages in the development of traumatic disease

: Absorption and fluorescent cytophotometry techniques were applied to studies of RNA, glycogen and its fractions in hepatocytes of patients with hard mechanic trauma, both with and without endointoxication. For measuring RNA and glycogen contents, slides were stained by gallocyanin-chromalum or underwent fluorescent PAS-reaction, respectively. The repeated aspiration biopsy material was used for investigation of RNA and glycogen contents in dynamics. A quick increase in RNA content took place at the first stage (within the first 3 days) of traumatic illness of both the groups of patients. At the second stage of illness the hepatocyte RNA content in patients without endointoxication was seen to decrease to the initial level, whereas that in patients with endointoxication increased from the initial level by 36%. At different stages of illness the total glycogen content is changed insignificantly in the course of illness, but its labile fraction decreases to 70% of the total glycogen in patients with endointoxication. The increase of hepatocyte synthetic activity and the maintenance of the normal glycogen level may suggest a sufficient compensatory possibility of the liver, in spite of a high functional load under endointoxication.