Biomaterial Database

alpha-Fetoprotein and albumin mRNA levels in liver regeneration and carcinogenesis. 1983

C Petropoulos, and G Andrews, and T Tamaoki, and N Fausto

Using a titration procedure, we measured the proportion of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and albumin mRNA in normal, regenerating, and preneoplastic rat livers. AFP mRNA constitutes approximately 0.006% of the polysomal polyadenylated RNA of normal livers and this proportion increases only slightly before the onset of DNA synthesis in liver regeneration induced by partial hepatectomy or CCl4 injury. In either model of liver regeneration, the proportion of AFP mRNA in polysomal RNA is highest approximately 24 h after the peak of DNA synthesis. The increase in the proportion of AFP mRNA in polysomal RNA is relatively small during liver regeneration (2-4-fold) but is larger (30-50-fold) in preneoplastic livers of rats fed a choline-deficient diet containing 0.1% ethionine. In contrast to those changes in AFP mRNA, albumin mRNA levels remain unchanged during liver regeneration and double in preneoplastic livers. Our results indicate that the concept of "retrodifferentiation" as it applies to liver regeneration and certain types of hepatic neoplasia needs reevaluation.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D008113	Liver Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the LIVER.	Cancer of Liver,Hepatic Cancer,Liver Cancer,Cancer of the Liver,Cancer, Hepatocellular,Hepatic Neoplasms,Hepatocellular Cancer,Neoplasms, Hepatic,Neoplasms, Liver,Cancer, Hepatic,Cancer, Liver,Cancers, Hepatic,Cancers, Hepatocellular,Cancers, Liver,Hepatic Cancers,Hepatic Neoplasm,Hepatocellular Cancers,Liver Cancers,Liver Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Hepatic,Neoplasm, Liver
D008115	Liver Regeneration	Repair or renewal of hepatic tissue.	Liver Regenerations,Regeneration, Liver,Regenerations, Liver
D008297	Male		Males
D011230	Precancerous Conditions	Pathological conditions that tend eventually to become malignant.	Preneoplastic Conditions,Condition, Preneoplastic,Conditions, Preneoplastic,Preneoplastic Condition,Condition, Precancerous,Conditions, Precancerous,Precancerous Condition
D002252	Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning	Poisoning that results from ingestion, injection, inhalation, or skin absorption of CARBON TETRACHLORIDE.	CCl4 Poisoning,Poisoning, CCl4,Poisoning, Carbon Tetrachloride,CCl4 Poisonings,Carbon Tetrachloride Poisonings,Poisonings, Carbon Tetrachloride
D006498	Hepatectomy	Excision of all or part of the liver. (Dorland, 28th ed)	Hepatectomies
D000418	Albumins	Water-soluble proteins found in egg whites, blood, lymph, and other tissues and fluids. They coagulate upon heating.	Albumin
D000509	alpha-Fetoproteins	The first alpha-globulins to appear in mammalian sera during FETAL DEVELOPMENT and the dominant serum proteins in early embryonic life.	alpha-Fetoprotein,alpha Fetoprotein,alpha Fetoproteins
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia