Energy metabolism of the peritoneal membrane in silica-induced peritonitis. A biochemical and enzyme histochemical study.

Oxygen and glucose consumption and lactate production of the peritoneal membrane and intra-abdominal adhesions were measured in rats after a single intra-peritoneal colloidal silica injection. Enzyme histochemical studies were made of lactate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, NADH2-diaphorase, NADPH2-diaphorase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase, leucylaminopeptidase and alkaline phosphatase in the peritoneal membrane. Anaerobic glycolysis comprises 47% of the total glucose consumption in the the normal peritoneum. Glucose consumption and lactate production of the peritoneal membrane increased sharply in the early phase of silica-induced peritonitis and stayed at a high level for a week indicating an enhanced anerobic metabolism. Oxygen and aerobic glucose consumption increased more slowly than anaerobic glucose consumption and reached their maxima 1 week after silica injection, indicating that the rate of aerobic metabolism is also higher in chemical peritonitis than in the controls. On the other hand, glucose consumption and lactate production increased in a parallel fashion in adhesions and in the peritoneum in the early phase of peritonitis. However, the maximum and later levels were less in adhesions than in the peritoneum. In the enzyme histochemical study high activities of enzymes indicating anaerobic energy metabolism and metabolism via the pentose phosphate shunt were seen in cells of the peritoneal membrane during the early phase of peritonitis. No activity was identified in enzymes indicating aerobic energy metabolism and increased catabolism before the end of the first week.