Negligible Role of Adrenal Hormones in Regulation of DNA Synthesis in Livers of Partially Hepatectomized Rats

Abstract

Summary

Rats were depleted of adrenal corticosteroids by adrenalectomy and orchidectomy, as evidenced by determination of blood levels 1 week later, and by failure of the animals to survive without supplementary NaCl. When 7-day adrenalectomized-orchi-dectomized rats were partially hepatectomized, incorporation of [³H]thymidine into hepatic DNA, indicative of rate of liver regeneration, differed insignificantly from the rate in similarly treated controls, and diverged at only one time point (30 hr) from the rate in regenerating livers of normal rats. The divergence was due to the saline-dextrose injections, not to adrenalectomy-orchidectomy. Administration of adrenal cortical hormones in near physiologic doses did not alter [³H]thymidine incorporation in experimental or control rats. The evidence does not support an important role for these hormones as physiologic regulators of liver growth during hepatic regeneration.