The experiment was conducted to observe the amino acid uptake in the regenerating liver following a partial hepatectomy. The time of the observation was when the liver showed a sharp increase in its protein synthesis.
Twenty male rats, the experimental animals, were classified into five groups following the hepatectomy: Sham operation, immediately after 20th hour, 30th hour, 40th hour. 70 percent of liver from each rat was resected out, and 1, 6μc of alpha aminoisobutyric acid-C^(14) (AIB-C^(14), carrier AIB 2.0mg) was injected into each rat according to the respective group time. The animals were killed five hours after the injection, and AIB-C^(14) was measured in regenerating liver, heart, kidney and plasma. Water and protein contents of the regenerating liver were also measured.
The results were as follows:
1. Water and protein contents in the regenerating liver showed a steady decrease during 40 hours post operation.
2. Until the 20th hour following the hepatectomy, AIB-C^(14) uptake in the regenerating liver remained low, to be significantly higher than control at the 30th hour, and returned to control value at the 40th hour, AIB uptake in heart and kidney showed no significant change.
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