Insulin-induced liver hyperplasia: evidence for a negative liver-size-correcting process.

The fate of the increased liver DNA induced by insulin treatment of rats with chronic steptozotocin-induced diabetes was studied. The DNA content of the organ was restored to normal by an active process having a half-time of 32 days. The half-time of disappearance of thymidine-labelled DNA in the same livers was 81 days. The results indicate the existence of a mechnanism which acts to restore normal liver cellularity when an over-production of cells has occurred.