Hepatotrophic effects of pancreatic and gastrointestinal hormones in the rat in vivo and in vitro.

The role of gastrointestinal and pancreatic hormones in regulating liver growth was evaluated by measuring their effect on DNA synthesis in the normal and regenerating liver of rats in vivo and in maintenance cultures of adult rat hepatocytes in vitro. After partial liver resection DNA synthesis reached peak levels after 24 hours while serum concentrations of immunoreactive insulin in portal and peripheral blood at this time were still suppressed. Increase of endogenous insulin levels by intravenous glucose infusion or portal infusion of insulin, glucagon or both together with glucose did not change DNA synthesis in normal or regenerating rat liver. After acute carbon tetrachloride poisoning of rats, survival rate and degree of liver necrosis was not changed by intraperitoneal infusion of glucagon and insulin with glucose. In vitro, insulin, glucagon and somatostatin synergistically stimulated the specific thymidine uptake in seven-day-old maintenance cultures of rat hepatocytes. The hormones did not cause cell multiplication but enhanced cell survival, probably by improving the uptake and utilization of nutrients. Gastrin G-17, secretin and cholecystokinin (contaminated with gastric inhibitory polypeptide) had no effect. It is concluded that the results do not support the contention that liver regeneration is regulated by the known pancreatic hormones. However, a trophic effect of pancreatic hormones on liver cells in vitro could be demonstrated. Gastrointestinal hormones had no such effect.