Binucleation in mammalian liver: Studies on the control of cytokinesis in vivo

doi:10.1016/0014-4827(72)90401-6

Experimental Cell Research

Volume 74, Issue 2, October 1972, Pages 455-465

https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-4827(72)90401-6 Get rights and content

Abstract

Binucleate hepatocytes appear in large numbers shortly after weaning in the rat. Their emergence is immediately preceded by a burst of mitotic activity. If rats are not weaned until 25 days of age, liver cell binucleation remains at a very low level until after weaning and again the increase follows a compensatory burst of mitotic activity. The results strongly suggest that binucleates arise by acytokinetic mitosis.

Binucleate cells comprise about 30% of hepatocytes in adult rats; this level is relatively stable and is not influenced to any marked extent by changes in diet or endocrine status. Hypophysectomy in late adolescence does slow down the rate of decline in binucleate cells from early adolescence (about 50% binucleates) to early adulthood.

Partial hepatectomy (69%) produces a marked loss of binucleate hepatocytes from the rat and mouse liver. Their disappearance does not occur, however, until mitotic activity becomes prominent and a close parallel is seen in both species between mitotic division and the fall in binucleation. Furthermore, the fall in binucleates occurs later in subtotally-hepatectomized (80–84%) rats and in hypophysectomized rats subjected to partial hepatectomy (69%); in these cases the fall in binucleates is retarded by the slower entry of cells into mitosis after resection.

The results are interpreted as evidence favouring the mitogenic regulation of formation and disappearance of binucleate hepatocytes, and is discussed in this light.

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During liver regeneration, after PH, quiescent hepatocytes undergo one or two rounds of replication to restore the liver mass by a process of compensatory hyperplasia. Many studies have shown that during this process hepatic polyploidy is modified [2,43–46]. Regenerative liver growth differs markedly from developmental liver growth, the most striking difference being the rapid disappearance of binucleated hepatocytes.
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^☆: This work was supported by grant no. 192 from the Scottish Hospital Endowment Research Trust to the head of the department (Professor A.R. Currie).

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Binucleation in mammalian liver: Studies on the control of cytokinesis in vivo☆

Abstract

Exptl cell res

Exptl cell res

Exptl cell res

Gastroenterology

Exptl cell res

Exptl cell res

Z Zellforsch

Protoplasma

Nature

Anat rec

Brit j nutr