THE STUDY OF LIVER FUNCTION IN DOGS

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Abstract
Three years experience with the study of liver function in dogs given carbon tetrachloride has led to the following conclusions. The most generally useful test of disturbed liver function has been a modified bromsulfalein excretion test in which a dose of 10 mgm. per kilogram is used and the blood sampled 15 min. later. The serum “alkaline” phosphatase level, in the absence of extrahepatic biliary obstruction, is a sensitive index of liver damage in dogs. The albumin/euglobulin ratio decreases during hepatotoxin administration and usually remains low for a time during hepatic regeneration. The degree of lowering gives a useful indication of the clinical condition of. the animal and correlates best with the histological findings. Serum bilirubin was an insensitive indication of liver damage and urinary bilirubin and urobilinogen studies were of no value under our conditions. The plasma prothrombin time was increased only in the early acute phase of liver injury. Certain empirical tests for altered serum proteins, thymol turbidity, zinc sulphate, and sodium sulphite can be applied to dogs but are much less sensitive than they are in man. Amino acid tolerance tests gave little evidence of being useful and the intravenous galactose tolerance test was of no value in dogs.