The influence of environmental factors upon induced compensatory hyperplasia in the rat liver

This study has examined the influence of a controlled environment upon the nature of the compensatory hyperplasia which occurs in the rat liver after two-thirds partial hepatectomy. Rats were adapted to a reversed lighting schedule (lights off 09.30 to 21.30 h), and food was only available during the first 8 h of the dark period. Partial hepatectomies were performed at either 10.00, 16.00 or 20.00 h, and the response over the first 36 h monitored by 2-hourly measurements of the flash tritiated thymidine labelling index and the mitotic index. DNA synthesis was initiated within 16-18 h of operation, irrespective of when hepatectomies were performed, though the ensuing patterns of DNA synthesis were rather different. On the other hand, the initiation of mitotic activity was very much dependent upon the time of day that resections were carried out. Hepatectomy at 20.00 h resulted in a rise in mitotic activity some 22-24 h later, but hepatectomy at 10.00 h caused a further 6 h delay in this rise. The onset of mitotic activity appeared to be related to recent feeding, and it is proposed that in the absence of recent nutrition, DNA-synthesizing hepatocytes may have an extended tS and/or tG2.