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Andre D. Glinos 



this group. It is well known that when dehydration proceeds slowly the main- 

 tenance of plasma volume at the expense of extravascular fluid may be quite 

 successful. This is significant since the extravascular fluid of the liver must parti- 

 cipate in the transmission of information to the liver cells. The serum albumin 

 fraction in this experiment was found to be low when liver cell division was 

 present and nonnal or slightly increased when liver cell division was absent. 

 In the framework of the present discussion this feature is somewhat suggestive 



Fig. 2. Inhibition of cell division in the regenerating liver by fluid restriction. 



The experimental variables are defined in the text. 



The percentage changes refer to differences in weight, total serum protein, and 



serum albumin between the values obtained before treatment and those obtained 



at sacrifice. 



when it is considered that albumin is synthesized in the liver. In view of these 

 facts it was thought that an investigation of changes in protein metabolism of 

 the liver cells, early after partial hepatectomy, could help in elucidating the 

 possible role of the serum proteins and the extravascular fluid of the liver in 

 the transmission of information to the liver cells. 



In this, we took advantage of the many observations showing histochemically 

 detectable changes in the organization of cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein with 

 increasing demands on the protein synthetic mechanism of the cells (6, 7). 

 Briefly stated, these changes consist of the disappearance from the cytoplasm 

 of discrete basophilic bodies which are associated with ribonucleoprotein; the 

 cytoplasm then stains unifonnly with basic dyes. Rats were sacrificed at frequent 

 intervals after partial hepatectomy and their livers fixed and stained with 

 gallocyanin chrome alum. Within thirty minutes after partial hepatectomy the 

 ribonucleoprotein-associated basophilic bodies started disappearing from the 

 cells in the periportal area. This change proceeded gradually toward the center, 

 so that eight hours after the operation all cells, even those in the centrolobular 

 area, were affected. After this time reconstruction of the basophilic bodies 

 proceeded in the opposite direction from the center of the lobule towards the 

 periphery. At 24 hours cells in the centrolobular area had completed the cycle 



