FIG. 1.

Although post-PH initial liver regeneration is disturbed in db/db mice, mitotic responses occur equally in lean control and db/db steatotic mice. (A) Lipid content was confirmed by Sudan III stain in the liver of control and db/db mice before PH. Lipid accumulation was more evident in the central area than in the portal area of the db/db mouse liver. (B) Initial liver regeneration was disturbed in the db/db mice after PH. (C) Counts of PCNA-positive hepatocytes in the regenerating liver showed that the mitotic response peaked at 36 h post-PH in lean control and db/db mouse liver. (D) Histological examination (H&E staining) revealed similar mitotic responses at 36, 48, and 72 h post-PH in the liver of lean control and db/db steatotic mice. Scale bar: 50 μm. At least five mice were used for each experiment (B–D). Data are expressed as mean±SEM. (E) Expression of cell cycle-associated proteins was examined in the liver. Each blot represents at least three independent experiments. The intensity of each band was quantified by densitometry, showing the chronological relative changes for each protein, and is plotted on the right. The results are expressed as mean±SEM of at least three independent experiments; p<0.05 was considered statistically significant (B–E). Groups without an asterisk (*) were not statistically different (E). H&E, hematoxylin and eosin; PCNA, proliferating cell nuclear antigen; PH, partial hepatectomy; SEM, standard error of the mean. To see this illustration in color, the reader is referred to the web version of this article at www.liebertpub.com/ars