Effects of perfusate on cation transport by slices from the isolated perfused rat liver

Isolated livers from fed rats were perfused for 1 h with a basic Krebs–Ringer bicarbonate buffer solution containing albumin and glucose and added (1) α-ketoglutarate, (2) pyruvate, fumarate, and glutamate, or (3) washed red blood cells. Perfusate flow rate, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and pH changes across the liver, and glucose efflux in the perfusate, were measured during perfusion. Rewarmed slices of liver taken at the beginning of perfusion were found to be able to reverse a cation shift imposed by cold incubation. Slices of liver taken after 1 h of perfusion were not able to effect this cation shift unless red blood cells were included in the perfusate. It is proposed that noncellular perfusates containing metabolic substrates are not ideal for isolated rat liver perfusion studies as evidenced in the altered membrane transport capacity of slices after perfusion.