Action of plasma and liver extract from adult mice on the mitotic activity of young mouse liver.

Inbred C3HS male mice, standardized for periodicity analysis were used. A hundred and seventy 25 +/- 2 days old mice were injected at 16:00 hs with saline, plasma or liver extract from 27 mice 90 days old. Controls were made at 08/16, 12/20, 16/24, 08/40, 12/44, 16/48, 08/64, 12/68 and 16/72 (time of day/time post-injection). The mitotic activity of the hepatocytes and litoral cells were determined. The injection of small doses of extract and plasma inhibits the mitotic activity of hepatocytes during the first and second following days. A compensatory wave appears in the third day. The extract inhibits the mitotic activity of litoral cells in the first day of control only, whereas the plasma inhibits this variable in the second and third day.