A histochemical study on the mechanism behind the elevation of serum y-GTP activity in bile duct obstruction

Abstract

As the results of the histochemical examinations of y-GTP of the livers in congenital biliary diseases (congenital biliary atresia; 14 cases, congenital dilatation of common bile duct; 5 cases, Alagille's syndrome; 1 case), it is clarified that the elevation of serum y-GTP in bile duct obstruction is related to the increasing of y-GTP activity in hepatic lobules and marked proliferation of bile ductules. We examined ultrastructural localization of y-GTP in the three cases of congenital biliary atresia and the rats with extrahepatic bile duct ligation, and clarified for the first time the ultrastructural localization of y-GTP of the liver in bile duct obstruction. During bile duct obstruction, y-GTP activity increased in bile canaliculi, hepatocytes and proliferated bile ductules. It is suspected that the increased y-GTP enters to the lumen of bile canaliculi and proliferated ductules, Disse's space and small blood vessels around proliferated ductules. © 1986, The Japan Society of Hepatology. All rights reserved.