Abstract
Summary
In female rats, ligature of the common bile duct for 5 weeks caused hepatic enlargement, bile duct-proliferation and hyperplasia of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER). Biochemically, however, there was a decrease of microsomal protein and cytochrome P-450 content, of NADPH cytochrome C reductase and bilirubin-UDP-glucuronyl-transferase activities, as well as of ethylmorphine N -demethylation indicating that bile duct-obstruction induced hypertrophic but hypoactive SER. Prior and continued administration of pregnenolone- 16α-carbonitrile (PCN) to ligated animals corrected all these biochemical changes showing that the hypoactivity of the SER is reversible.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.