Hepatocyte proliferation in silicotic rat liver after partial hepatectomy.

Liver silicosis was induced in rats by an intravenous injection of silica particles. The presence of silicotic granulomas in the liver lowered the initial response of hepatocytes to partial (37%) hepatectomy and slowed down the decline in the number of dividing cells 6 days after the stimulus, but did not affect significantly the total number of mitotic cells.