Evolution of liver and kidney gluconeogenesis during acute liver intoxication by carbon tetrachloride

Abstract

Evolution of early renal metabolic adaptation to the rat liver intoxication by carbon tetrachloride is studied. Liver glycogen is very rapidly depleted (20% of initial values at 3 h) and liver gluconeogenic capacity is completely inhibited 7 h after carbon tetrachloride treatment. Contrariwise, a gradual enhancement of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxikinase activity and gluconeogenic capacity of kidney cortex takes place during this period. Accordingly, renal concentrations of aspartate, malate, and phosphoenolpyruvate indicate that the reaction catalysed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase is accelerated in vivo. These findings suggest that metabolic adaptation of kidney cortex in response to liver functional impairment plays an important role early after carbon tetrachloride administration.