title: Changes of serum and urinary neopterin concentrations in rats after partial hepatectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the changes in serum and urinary neopterin concentrations over time after partial hepatectomy in rats, and to find out if neopterin can be used as a marker of immunological response during the regulation of liver regeneration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised experiment.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital, Taiwan, R.O.C.
  
  
  METHODS
  84 male Wistar rats weighing about 200g.
  
  
  METHODS
  Partial hepatectomy (67%) or sham operation (n = 42 in each group).
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum and urinary neopterin concentrations measured by radioimmunoassay preoperatively and on days 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum neopterin concentrations increased and reached their peak on days 5 and 7 after partial hepatectomy. The urinary neopterin concentration showed a similar trend, but with a more pronounced increase on days 5 and 7.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum and urinary neopterin concentrations can be used as markers of activated cell-mediated immunity in rats after partial hepatectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, ROC.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D019798:Neopterin / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019798:Neopterin