VASOPRESSIN SYNERGISTICALLY STIMULATES DNA-SYNTHESIS IN NORMAL AND REGENERATING RAT-LIVER CELL-CULTURES IN THE PRESENCE OF HEPATOCYTE GROWTH-FACTOR

Liver regeneration is significantly impaired in rats with both alpha-a drenergic hepatic denervation and hereditary vasopressin deficiency. T his may implicate a direct role for these agonists in the process of c ompensatory hyperplasia. The mitogenic capacities of norepinephrine, v asopressin and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), either alone or in comb ination were investigated by [H-3]thymidine incorporation into hepatoc yte cultures prepared from normal and regenerating rat livers. The res ults show that normal hepatocytes incorporate less [H-3]thymidine in r esponse to HGF than do regenerating hepatocytes. In addition, physiolo gical concentrations of vasopressin cause a synergistic stimulation of [H-3]thymidine uptake in rat liver cells in the presence of HGF.