Abstract

31P-NMR spectra of liver in vivo, subcellular fractions and model systems were acquired in order to characterise further the hepatic phosphodiester peak seen at low magnetic field strengths previously shown to be predominantly due to phospholipid bilayers. The data obtained in this study in vitro suggested that the phospholipid membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum provide the dominant contribution to this phosphodiester peak. Support for this hypothesis was provided by experiments on rats. Phenobarbitone, which is known to induce proliferation of the endoplasmic reticulum produced a considerable increase in intensity of the phosphodiester peak in liver spectra in vivo.