LIVER-REGENERATION FOLLOWING PARTIAL-HEPATECTOMY AND STIMULATION BY HEPATIC STIMULATORY SUBSTANCE IN CIRRHOTIC AND NONCIRRHOTIC RATS

The effects of hepatic stimulatory substance (HSS) on cirrhotic and no ncirrhotic rats were studied after 70% partial hepatectomy. Liver cirr hosis was produced by weekly intragastric infusion of chloroform for 1 2-16 weeks. The HSS was prepared by extraction from the livers of wean ling mice. Rats in the experimental group were injected with 5 ml HSS after 70% partial hepatectomy, and those in the control group received normal saline. The results showed that the H-3-thymidine incorporatio n was higher in the HSS group 24 h after partial hepatectomy in both c irrhotic and non-cirrhotic rats, and persistently higher in the non-ci rrhotic rats at 48 h. Total DNA was significantly higher in the HSS gr oup of non-cirrhotic rats 24 and 48 h after partial hepatectomy. The r estituted liver volume and weight was significantly higher in non-cirr hotic rats 48 h after partial hepatectomy, while there was no signific ant difference between the HSS and the control groups in the cirrhotic rats. The HSS induced significant effects on H-3-thymidine incorporat ion in the non-cirrhotic liver, resulting in increasing liver weight, volume and total DNA 48 h after partial hepatectomy. In cirrhotic rats , the H-3-thymidine incorporation was higher in the HSS group at 24 h after partial hepatectomy, though not showing any increase at 48 h, bu t the regeneration of liver weight, volume and total DNA at 48 h showe d no difference between the HSS group and the control group.