Amino acids fail to prevent halothane depression of albumin synthesis: studies in the isolated perfused rat liver.

Abstract

Halothane (1.3 MAC) and ethanol (0.4%) depress albumin synthesis in isolated perfused rat livers (IPRLs). Addition of amino acids prevents depression by ethanol. We have examined the effects of amino acids on albumin synthesis by IPRLs exposed to halothane. Seventeen livers were perfused with a mixture of rat erythrocytes and rabbit plasma. Five were exposed to oxygen/carbon dioxide alone and 12 to oxygen/carbon dioxide with 1.5% halothane. A mixture of 10 essential amino acids was added to the perfusate of six of the halothane-exposed livers to a concentration approximately 10 times the normal rat plasma level. Perfusate concentrations of newly synthesized albumin were measured by radial immunodiffusion, and the rate of synthesis for the 4.25-h study period was calculated. The mean +/- SEM albumin synthetic rate (mg/h per 300-g rat) in the control group (12.13 +/- 1.36) was significantly greater than in the group receiving halothane alone (6.98 +/- 0.92). Amino acid treatment failed to prevent halothane depression of albumin synthesis (8.68 +/- 0.84). Thus, although amino acids block ethanol depression of albumin synthesis, we could show no such effect in rat livers exposed to halothane.