| First Author | Sarraf CE | Year | 1997 |
| Journal | Int J Exp Pathol | Volume | 78 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 49-56 |
| PubMed ID | 9166105 | Mgi Jnum | J:39132 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:86513 | Doi | 10.1046/j.1365-2613.1997.d01-238.x |
| Citation | Sarraf CE, et al. (1997) Reversal of phenobarbital-induced hyperplasia and hypertrophy in the livers of lpr mice. Int J Exp Pathol 78(1):49-56 |
| abstractText | Fas is a cell surface receptor that mediates apoptosis, and Fas mRNA has been demonstrated in hepatocytes. MRL/MP-lpr/lpr mice carry the mutated lymphoproliferation-associated gene, lpr, that codes for truncated Fas protein, resulting in reduced apoptotic potential in some circumstances. Phenobarbital treatment of experimental animals induces cytochrome P450 enzymes, and thus acts as a growth stimulus to the liver with both hyperplasia and hypertrophy; cessation results in reversion of liver to normal size with apoptosis playing a role. This study has determined the respective contributions of atrophy and apoptosis to this involution in Fas-defective and normal-FAs bearing animals. Between the first day and the fifth day after phenobarbital cessation, the weights of both Fas-defective (lpr/lpr) livers and control (lpr/+) livers reduced. Hepatocyte hypertrophy gradually reverted in both categories of mouse and this was the greater contribution to reduction in liver size. In lpr/lpr animals, there was a consistent level of apoptosis which remained relatively constant, while numbers of apoptotic cells in control livers increased over the period. This investigation has shown that in liver, a mechanism to execute apoptosis is operative even in Fas-defective mice, but it is not sensitive to signals activated by the removal of the growth stimulus. This is in contrast to mice which can mount a Fas-mediated response; thus a separate apoptotic pathway is indicated. |
