Enzyme Studies in Dogs with Extra-hepatic Biliary Obstruction

Abstract

During biliary stasis the alkaline phosphatase in hepatic tissue increased earlier and decreased later after release of the obstruction than did that in the serum. Bile pigments persisted for a long time in hepatic tissue after release of biliary obstruction. The serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase first increased moderately and then decreased; in hepatic tissue the enzyme did not increase, but usually decreased slightly during the 3rd to 4th week of biliary stasis. Alkaline phosphatase and adenosine triphosphatase had similar patterns in hepatic tissue, displaying thickened, knotty canaliculi as well as increased sinusoidal pattern. Soon after ligation staining for acid phosphatase showed enhanced lysosomal picture, and later enzyme positive globules appeared around bile casts and lumps of bile pigment. No remarkable changes occurred in succinic dehydrogenase, monoamine oxidase, or non-specific esterase, except for loss of enzyme in fatty degenerated cells centrilobularly after prolonged biliary obstruction.

Key-words:

• Liver
• dogs
• jaundice, obstructive
• enzymes
• histochemistry