A Study on the Protein Metabolism and Histology of the Liver of Male and Female Albino Rates (Rattus norvegicusalbinus) on Adrenalectomy

A significant decrease in the levels of total proteins along with an increase in the levels of free amino acid (FAA) and ammonia and activities of protease, alanine aminotransferase (AlAT),aspartate amino transferase (AAT) and glutamate dehydrogenase(GDH) were observed in the liver of male and female rats on adrenalectomy (ADX) at day 15 and day 30 compared with sham operated (SO) rats. These results indicated significant proteolysis and active trans- deamination in the hepatic tissue of rats on adrenalectomy. Increase in protease activity and amino acid levels could be due to the turnover of proteins for metabolic reorganization. The magnitude of those changes were significantly more in the liver of female ADX rats than in the liver of males. It revealed more susceptibility of females to adrenalectomy than the males. Longer the duration of adrenalectomy more is the protein breakdown in both the sexes as noticed from day 15 to day 30. Corresponding to the changes in protein levels some degenerative changes in the histology were observed in the liver of male and female ADX rats at day 15 day 30 compared to normals. A mild degree of destruction of hepatocytes with darkened nuclei and widening of sinusoidal spaces in few regions were observed at day 15 and severe cytoplasmic and nuclear damage at day 30 in the liver of ADX males suggest that adrenalectomy leads to decreased protein synthesis. The female ADX rats showed widening of sinusoidal spaces in few regions at day 15 and on day 30 the nuclei of hepatocytes shrunken, while karyolysis is also observed in few nuclei. These changes support that female rats proved to more vulnerability on ADX stress than the male ADX rats. In conclusion the observations, indicated proteolysis and active trans-deamination to favour to gluconeogenesis for energy production in the hapatic tissues of rats on adrenalectomy. It could lead to structural disruption and decreased metabolic ability that appeared more in females than in males on ADX, and in both the sexes it increased with the duration of adrenalectomy.