title: Uridine diphosphoglucose restores lipocyte proliferation in the regenerating liver of ethanol-treated rats.
abstract: The effect of continuous intraperitoneal infusion of uridine diphosphoglucose on ethanol-induced suppression of lipocyte proliferation was studied in regenerating rat livers from 1-4 days after hepatectomy. Proliferating lipocytes were positively identified using a two-sequence immunohistochemical staining for cytoplasmic desmin and bromodeoxyuridine-labelled nuclei. Hepatectomy rapidly stimulated lipocyte proliferation which peaked 2 days after hepatectomy (labelling index, 17.9 +/- 0.81%). uridine diphosphoglucose or glucose infusion did not modify the time course of lipocyte proliferation. Ethanol feeding to hepatectomized rats receiving saline or glucose infusion resulted in a 71% (p less than 0.005) and 61% (p less than 0.005) inhibition of lipocyte proliferation, respectively, 2 days after hepatectomy, thereby abolishing the characteristic proliferative peak observed in rats not treated with ethanol. In contrast, uridine diphosphoglucose infusion doubled the labelling index (13.1 +/- 2.34%) in ethanol-fed rats compared to that in corresponding rats treated with saline (5.28 +/- 1.29%; p less than 0.005) or glucose (6.51 +/- 0.64%; p less than 0.005). This resulted in the appearance of a proliferative peak, albeit smaller than normal, 2 days after hepatectomy. In sham-operated rats, lipocyte proliferation was low with a labelling index of 1.88 +/- 0.13% at the time of operation and of 1.69 +/- 0.23% 2 days thereafter. Uridine diphosphoglucose infusion to sham-operated rats for 2 days did not significantly affect lipocyte proliferation (labelling index 1.79 +/- 0.06%). The present study demonstrated that uridine diphosphoglucose does not affect lipocyte proliferation in the regenerating or sham-operated livers, but that it partially reverses the ethanol-induced suppression of lipocyte proliferation after hepatectomy.
authors.affiliation: Alcohol Research and Treatment Center, Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center, NY 10468.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Funaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lieber
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000032:analysis; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry; D003893:Desmin / Q000032:analysis; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006498:Hepatectomy; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D014532:Uridine Diphosphate Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D003893:Desmin; D000431:Ethanol; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D014532:Uridine Diphosphate Glucose