[3H]thymidine incorporation into whole liver as an alternative to [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA as a parameter of cell proliferation in regenerating liver tissue in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To monitor liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy, liver cell proliferation can be measured by assaying in vivo [3H]thymidine incorporation into liver cell DNA. We hypothesized that [3H]thymidine incorporation into whole liver tissue parallels [3H]thymidine incorporation into liver cell DNA, both in high proliferating and low proliferating liver.


METHODS
Liver cell proliferation in rats after partial hepatectomy or a sham operation was studied by measuring incorporation of [3H]thymidine into various fractions of liver tissue on days 1, 2, 3, 4 and 10 after surgery.


RESULTS
[3H]thymidine incorporation into whole liver tissue and in the protein fraction correlated well with DNA-specific [3H]thymidine incorporation into regenerating (r > .80, P < .0001) and nonregenerating liver (r > .69, P < .005). [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA was < 5% of the total amount of administered [3H]thymidine in both sham-operated and hepatectomized rats. Significant differences in [3H]thymidine incorporation into partially hepatectomized livers as compared to sham-operated rat livers were found on days 1 and 2 (whole liver tissue and protein fraction) or day 1 (DNA) after surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
[3H]thymidine incorporation into whole liver tissue is a simple technique that can be used for the study of liver cell proliferation after partial hepatectomy in rats.
de Jong
K P
KP
Department of Surgery, University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands. k.p.de.jong@chir.azg.nl
Brinker
M
M
van Veen
M
M
Daemen
T
T
Scherphof
G L
GL
Slooff
M J
MJ
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D006498:Hepatectomy; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000556:secondary; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism*; D014316:Tritium
D014316:Tritium; D004247:DNA; D013936:Thymidine