Localization of alpha-fetoprotein in liver tissue of rats during postnatal development: comparison of the immunofluorescent and autoradiographic methods.

Localization of alpha-fetoprotein has been followed in the liver of rats of the Wistar strain from birth up to 37th day of life, and its presence was detected by means of the immunofluorescent and the autoradiographic methods. The former has shown alpha-fetoprotein to be localized in hepatocytes and the number of positive hepatocytes to decline proportionally with that of alpha-fetoprotein concentration in the serum. In newborn rats almost all the hepatocytes were found to be positive. During the course of the subsequent development of the liver tissue the number of positive hepatocytes decreases and at the time of the formation of the lobular structure only certain groups of lobes remain positive. The number of positive cells, gradually diminishes from the periphery towards the vena centralis. The autoradiographic method revealed only small groups of individual cells to be alpha-fetoprotein positive, without any specific localization.