[Pathophysiology of burns].

Ultrastructural and metabolic alterations of the liver were studied in mice and rats after standardized "in vivo" burn injuries or i.p. injections of a specific cutaneous burn toxin. The main findings of the ultrastructural investigations were delayed and specific intramitochondrial vacuolizations appearing not before the 5th-7th day after burning or toxin-injections. -By applying the Schimassek model of the isolated and perfused liver for investigating liver metabolism we found a drastically reduced ATP/ADP-quotient on the 5th day after burns or toxin-injection as compared to the normal controls. The total content of adenonucleotides, however, remained unchanged. The urea and glucose release into the perfusate was also significantly decreased in both groups of animals and the glucose synthesis was not adequately stimulated by an additional lactate load. The results show a direct effect on the burn toxin on the hepatic metabolism as well as the hepatic cell structure suggesting a marked alteration of the oxydative phosphorylation.