Insulin and glucagon concentrations in the portal and peripheral blood in liver-injured and partially hepatectomized rats.

Insulin and glucagon concentrations in the peripheral and portal circulation were comparatively determined during 48 hours following partial hepatectomy and hepatotoxin treatment. Insulin and glucagon levels both in the peripheral and portal blood increased 24 hours after carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and D-galactosamine administrations, when nearly maximum degree of liver injury has been occurred. Thereafter glucagon continued to rise further, but insulin diminished sharply at the 48th hour of the hepatotoxin treatment. In partially hepatectomized rats, glucagon levels both in the peripheral and portal blood increased to a greater extent but insulin only in the portal circulation slightly elevated. The liver under repaired process of acute CCl4 and galactosamine liver injuries can not uptake glucagon from the portal blood, but the regenerating liver following partial hepatectomy showed the increased uptake of glucagon as well as insulin. Different behaviors of glucagon uptake by the liver under these experimental conditions may support our previous observations that repair process of liver injury is pathophysiologically different from liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy.