SERUM LEVELS OF SELECTED LIVER PROTEINS FOLLOWING PARTIAL-HEPATECTOMYIN THE FEMALE RAT

Liver regeneration in the rat following partial heparectomy (PH) is a frequently used model to study regulatory mechanisms in relation to ce ll growth and differentiation. In the present study, we analysed quant itative changes in the peripheral circulation of a number of important serum proteins following PH and laparotomy. Alpha-fetoprotein synthes is was induced in the PH rats and remained at very low levels in non-o perated controls. Pregnancy-associated murine protein-1 levels and fib ronectin levels were lower in the circulation of all operated animals compared with the intact controls. The serum levels of alpha-2 macrogl obulin were elevated in all operated animals compared with the pen-ope rated controls. Circulating complement factors C3e and C4 were present at significantly lower levels in PH animals than in rats following la parotomy. Small growth stimulating molecules (< 10 kDa) synthesized by different organs during the regenerative process have been described in the literature, but dialysates of the spleen and liver from non-ope rated rats and PH rats showed no significant impact on serum levels of the proteins in the present study.