Changes in hepatic metabolism associated with carcinogenesis or regeneration in rat liver.

The technic of isolated liver perfusion was used to study protein synthesis and amino acid catabolism in normal rat livers, rat livers undergoing azo dye carcinogenesis, and in regenerating rat livers. The results demonstrate that rat livers undergoing Carcinogenesis or regeneration have decreased catabolism of amino acids and increased synthesis of protein as compared with normal livers. Although the livers undergoing Carcinogenesis and the regenerating livers had a qualitative similarity in amino acid metabolism, they showed quantitative differences when the metabolism of specific amino acids was investigated.