Effects of estrogen on specific protein synthesis in the cockerel liver: an immunocytochemical study on major apoproteins in very low density and high density lipoproteins and albumin.

The effects of estrogen on two major apolipoproteins, apoVLDL-II and apoA-I, and albumin synthesis have been studied morphologically in cockerels using immunocytochemical methods. After the administration of a single dose of diethylstilbesterol (5 mg), the number of apoVLDL-II-containing hepatocytes increased markedly. The reaction product was also detected in the sinusoids. In contrast, the number of apoA-1- and albumin-containing cells did not seem to change significantly after estrogen treatment. The number of albumin-containing hepatocytes was higher than the number of apoVLDL II- or apoA-I-containing cells in the basal state. After estrogen, apoVLDL-II-containing cells were much more abundant than the other two cell types. The morphological changes induced by estrogen are correlated well with changes in the concentration of the three proteins in plasma after estrogen treatment.