Long-term ethanol administration and short- and long-term liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy
Orrego, H.; Crossley, I.R.; Saldivia, V.; Medline, A.; Varghese, G.; Israel, Y.
Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 97(2): 221-230
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-2143 PMID: 7452093 Document Number: 173143
Rats given alcohol (35% of total energy) in liquid diets were partly hepatectomized (68% removal) and then were given ethanol-containing diets until complete liver restitution. They were studied at 24 h and at 7 and 14 days. At those times, ethanol did not cause changes in total DNA restituted, percentage of cells undergoing mitosis or incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA as estimated chemically and by autoradiography. After part hepatectomy, rats given ethanol showed a reduction in both DNA and proteins per g liver. Those effects were the result of the hepatomegaly induced by ethanol and were also observed in sham-operated rats given the diets with ethanol. An apparent decrease in percentage restitution of liver weight was observed at 24 h after hepatectomy in rats given ethanol. This was caused by increase in hepatocyte size in the controls, which matched the already enlarged hepatocytes in those given ethanol. Part hepatectomy transiently increased the lipid content of the livers in controls. In rats given ethanol part hepatectomy resulted in fatty livers, which exceeded those abnormalities in sham-operated rats given ethanol.