Increased template activity of chromatin isolated from shocked liver.

Hemorrhagic shock causes an increase in the template activity of chromatin isolated from rat liver, as measured with E. coli RNA polymerase. The increase in template activity is directly related to the time of shock: The longer the shock period, the greater the increase in template activity. Reinfusion reduces the increased template activity. The increased template activity of the chromatin during hemorrhagic shock may be indicative of nuclear changes which contribute to the inability of the cell to recover from severe shock.