A Histochemical Study of Normal and Cirrhotic Livers.

Summary 1. Liver cell contains lipids, potassium, free aldehyde groups, sulfuric acid esters of mucopolysaccharide origin, protein bound sulfhydryl groups, mucoproteins, calcium, non-specific esterase, ribosenucleic acid and vit. C. 2. The lipid of the liver cell showing fatty metamorphosis is histochemically different than normal liver cell lipid. 3. The non-specific esterase activity is increased and clumped in the fatty liver. 4. Cytoplasmic liver cell RNA appears to be decreased in patients with morphologically active cirrhosis. 5. In the presence of clinical jaundice, alkaline phosphatase activity is increased in the Kupffer cells, in the liver cells adjacent to the central veins in the bile plugging the ducts. 6. Fatty liver appears to contain more vit. C than the normal liver.