[Quantitative cytologic and histologic study of the maternal hepatocyte and lobule on the 18th day of gestation in the Wistar rat].

With the object of studying the part taken by liver cells and lobules in mother's liver weight increase (+42%), planimetric cells areas were measured. The main results are: same diversity of cells size as in reference samples, perilobular cells remaining the larger. In the same way, one can note a small increase of cells size for pregnant animals: perilobular cells (+10%), nucleus (+26%), nucleolus (+19%), cytoplasms (+12%). These facts demonstrate the metabolic part played by liver during pregnancy but do not explain the liver weight increase. But planimetrical investigations of overall lobular size lead to an increase of 40%. Finally the increase of liver weight might be explained by an increase of cells number.