LIVER DEGLYCOGENATION AFTER PORTACAVAL TRANSPOSITION.

Abstract

As part of an overall investigation of the metabolic effects of portacaval transposition, liver glycogen levels in dogs were studied before and after this surgical procedure. Silen and associates studied total liver glycogen with a histochemical technique in dogs subjected to portacaval transposition and later killed. Glycogen levels were re- ported to be normal, but no attempt was described to stop enzymatic deglycogenation from the time of death until the tissue was fixed. Since trichloracetic acid (TCA) soluble glycogen is extremely labile, the tissue must be frozen immediately upon biopsy to prevent a loss of this fraction of the glycogen.