Effects of E. coli O 127 endotoxin on regenerating rat liver

The Authors investigated the effect produced by endotoxin upon regenerating rat liver. The animals were divided into three groups after hepatectomy. The first group of animals received physiological solution, the second group received 0.5 mg of E. coli endotoxin soon after hepatectomy and the last group received the same quantity of endotoxin 22 hours after hepatectomy. To estimate hepatic regeneration we used: percentage of liver regeneration and mitotic activity. It was noted that the percentage of hepatic regeneration and mitotic activity were higher in the two groups of treated animals than in the control group. Mitotic activity and hepatic regeneration were higher in the animals treated 22 hours after hepatectomy than in the animls of second group. These results lead us to conclude that E. coli O 127 endotoxin is mitogenic also in vivo.