Prereplicative enzymic changes in regenerating rat liver.

After partial hepatectomy in rats, the following changes in enzymic activities were observed in the remnant liver during the prereplicative period. In the initial period of the prereplicative process, soon after removal of part of the liver, ornithine decarboxylase [EC 4.1.1.17] and IMP dehydrogenase [EC 1.2.1.14] increase. Subsequently, for entry into the S period, thymidine kinase [EC 2.7.1.75] increases simultaneously with increase in the intracellular cyclic AMP level and decrease in its phosphodiesterase [EC 3.1.4.17].     

Effect of aspirin on the pressor activity of endothelin

To examine the inhibition of prostaglandins to the pressor activity of endothelin, hemodynamic changes of dogs pretreated with aspirin in response to endothelin were compared with those of control. In control dogs, endothelin rose blood pressure due to vasoconstriction, with a transient vasodilation in some dogs in the initial phase. In dogs treated with aspirin, the initial vasodilation and the subsequent vasoconstriction were also noted, but the zenith of the total peripheral resistance was observed earlier, compared with control dogs. Thus, prostaglandins do not appear to have a role in the initial vasodilatory action of endothelin, but may modify the long lasting vasoconstriction in the late phase.