FLUTED SERUM RELATING TO GROWTH OF BOTH HEPATOCYTE AND HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA CELLS

This study was undertaken to investigate a humoral substance contribut ing to both primary hepatocytes and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cel ls in the primitive form. Peripheral blood from rat, 24 h after partia l hepatectomy (PH) or sham-operation, was eluted into 50 fractions usi ng an HPLC, and each fraction was bio-assayed. In vivo relationship be tween PH and tumor growth was also evaluated. Only one, approximately 100 kDa, of the 50 fractions from PH rat stimulated the growth of both types of cell, and the time-lag between PH and HCC injection also cor related significantly with tumor appearance and growth. Serum in PH ra ts contains certain humoral stimulator(s) contributing to growth of bo th hepatocyte and HCC cells.