Phospholipids content of BALB-C mice regenerating liver

Although some other organs do demonstrate growth after injury, most undergo hyperthropic changes without significant increases in cell number. The liver is unique in its ability to undergo hyperplasia and to repopulate loss of tissue and cells. The best experimental model for the study of liver regeneration is a simple operation (partial hepatectomy, pHx) in which part of the liver of a rat is removed. Phospholipids are the fundamental components of biological membranes. The complex composition of membrane phospholipids is a reflection of the various structural and functional requirements in individual cells and subcellular organelles. Phospholipids maintain and stimulate biological activity of many proteins connected with membranes and receptors as well. They control membrane-dependent metabolic reactions between intracellular and extracellular spaces, influencing the transport of molecules through membranes. In the view of mentioned data the proper analysis of phospholipid compounds is necessary for an accurate measurement of physiological alterations in the lipid composition of the cell. In our investigation, we were trying to correlate the process of liver regeneration in experimental animals with phospholipid content of liver tissue in different stages of liver growth (24 h, 48 h, 7 days after partial hepatectomy). Total lipids were extracted from tissue samples according to Folch et al. and phospholipids were isolated from complex lipid mixture using solid phase extraction procedure. In this stage, we have results which are obtained gravimetrically, and our future goal is to develop a method for determination of phospholipids using high performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detector. Portion of phospholipids in total lipid fraction was examined and obtained results suggest that observed value increases compared to control value ( 41.5 &plusmn ; ; 4.97%) during 24 and 48 hours (56.9 &plusmn ; ; 4, 0 % and 50, 8 &plusmn ; ; 5, 6 %) and 7 days after partial hepatectomy (pHx) it approaches control value again (46, 0&plusmn ; ; 2, 8%).On the basis of obtained results we can make a rough estimation that phospholipid content follows the process of liver regeneration, and we will try to prove that in further investigation using precise analytical techniques.