Immunocytochemistry of albumin in hepatocytes after overnight starvation and during a diurnal cycle in young rats.

The indirect immunoperoxidase method was used to identify albumin in hepatocytes of young rats before and after periods of starvation and during a normal diurnal cycle. All liver cells in fed rats contained an abundance of albumin, whereas hepatocytes from overnight fasted animals showed minimal amounts of the protein. Hepatocytes in rats on the diurnal cycle generally contained more albumin during the light phase than in darkness. At the beginning of the dark phase, certain hepatocytes were low in albumin and they were located primarily around portal canals. Halfway through the dark period, these cells had increased in number and were located closer to terminal hepatic venules. Overnight starvation of young rats profoundly lowers hepatocyte albumin and the time of highest liver cell albumin content in the diurnal cycle of fed, young rats is during the first half of the light period.