Insulin and catecholamines act at different stages of rat liver regeneration.

Insulin and catecholamines are known to exert effects on hepatocyte growth and metabolism. The binding of insulin, the plasma levels of insulin (INS), and the plasma catecholamine levels of epinephrine (EPI) and norepinephrine (NE) were measured during liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PH). A significant decrease (p < 0.05) of INS receptor binding capacity was found at 1, 2, and 3 days after operation. A single insulin injection (2.5 IU/kg body weight) at 24 h after sham operation or partial hepatectomy did not affect these changes of INS binding to hepatocytes. The plasma insulin and glucose levels were similar in both hepatectomized and sham-operated rats. Within 20 min after liver resection or sham operation, plasma NE and EPI concentrations increased rapidly. Then, a significant decrease was observed in plasma catecholamine levels at 1 h after laparotomy and PH. In both groups, laparotomized and partially hepatectomized plasma levels of NE at 4 h reached control values and remained unchanged at the 4- and 24-h periods. After PH, the levels of EPI remained elevated at 4 h in comparison with laparotomy. Adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA levels were significantly elevated at 4 h in both PH and sham-operated groups. These results suggest that signals that are initiated by catecholamines and transduced through second messengers presumably participate in the trigger mechanism of liver regeneration, while insulin (considered as a secondary mitogen) enhances a stimulus for liver regeneration.