[Effect of starvation on the ultrastructure of hepatocytes of Hemidactylus frenatus (Lacertilia: Gekkonidae) with special emphasis on peroxisomes].

The influence of starvation on hepatocyte ultrastructure of Hemidactylus frenatus (Lacertilia: Gekkonidae) was investigated with special emphasis on peroxisomes. Wall lizards (Hemidactylus frenatus) were sacrificed after different periods of starvation and their livers were processed for standard transmission electron microscopy. Peroxisomes were demonstrated by means of the 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) cytochemical technique. A control group consisted of individuals which were fed "ad libitum" with Tenebrio molitor larvae. After a 7-day period of starvation the ultrastructural observation of hepatocytes disclosed a marked reduction of glycogen and lipid inclusions associated with fragmentation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In later stages of starvation (14 and 25 days) ER proliferation and partial reconstruction of glycogen aggregations were observed. Increasing numbers of peroxisomes were arranged either in clusters (14 days) or in close association with mitochondria, lipid droplets and elongated crystalloid structures (25 days). Particularly noteworthy is the increasing cytochemical response of these organelles to the DAB reaction, suggesting greater metabolic activity of catalase. These data suggest that morphological and functional plasticity of hepatocytes may contribute to adaptation of Hemidactylus frenatus to prolonged starvation.