Proliferative response of putative preneoplastic hepatocytes to triiodothyronine, aminoacids, glucagon and heparine.

Proliferative advantage of putative preneoplastic hepatocytes measured as the ratio of tritiated thymidine incorporation into cells of hyperplastic nodules with respect to the incorporation in hepatocytes of extranodular liver has been found to be about 2 in rats treated according to 4 carcinogenesis protocols consisting in one or two cycles of diethylnitrosamine and phenobarbital administration. The proliferative response of hepatocytes in hyperplastic nodules to the intravenous infusion of triiodothyronine, amino-acids, glucagon, and heparine (TAGH) has been found higher or similar--except in one case--than the response of surrounding liver but the proliferative advantage of preneoplastic hepatocytes is lower after TAGH stimulation than in basal conditions in all cases.