Summary
The total dry masses of normal hepatocytes isolated from adult golden hamsters form a multimodal frequency distribution curve (10–11 cell classes with a period of 132 pg). During starvation the hepatocytes maintain the arrangement in classes, the number of which, however, decreases. The cell percentage of the lightest classes progressively increases, but no change occurs in the class period. A similar behaviour is shown by the aqueo-insoluble dry masses of the hepatocytes. The nuclear dry masses increase until the 4th day of starvation. Later on, they decrease. The nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio progressively increases. The total number of hepatocytes per liver and the binuclear cell percentage do not show any significant changes during starvation. The mitotic index is lower in starved animals. The kinetics of decrement in dry mass of the hepatocytes during starvation and the possibility that the hepatocyte class series are the resultant of a dynamic balance of single hepatocyte mass are discussed.
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This work was supported by Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Roma, Italia (Grant No. 70/01811/04).
The author is deeply grateful to Prof. Enrico Puccinelli for his encouragement and advice during this work. The skilful technical assistance of Mrs. Lucia Giaccardo and Mr. Emilio Madrigali is gratefully acknowledged.
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Tongiani, R. Hepatocyte classes during liver atrophy due to starvation in the golden hamster. Z.Zellforsch 122, 467–478 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00936081
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00936081