Effects of Subtotal Hepatectomy on Response of the Rat to Cold Exposure

¹ From the Department of Physiology, University of Miami School of Medicine and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Miami, Florida

Rats, 10–14 weeks old, had 65% of the liver removed and were subsequently exposed to 5 ± 2°C for 5 days. The animals survived this treatment in good condition. At this time they were killed and oxygen consumption rates of liver, diaphragm, heart, extensor digitorum, kidney, thymus, lung, testis, brain and spleen were measured manometrically. Subtotal hepatectomy without concomitant cold exposure brought about an increase in the oxygen consumption of liver slices but no changes in the oxygen consumption of the other tissues studied. The added stimulus of cold exposure further increased the oxygen consumption of liver slices and also elevated the metabolic rates of heart ventricle, skeletal muscle and diaphragm. The rate of liver regeneration was not altered by exposure to cold.