A CORRELATION BETWEEN LIVER PLASMA MEMBRANE-ASSOCIATED STIMULATORY ACTIVITY (PMASA) AND EXPERIMENTAL CIRRHOSIS FORMATION

In the course of experimental CCl4-induced cirrhosis, an increase of the membrane-associated factor stimulating 3T3 cells' proliferation in vitro was observed. Gel filtration showed an approximate molecular mass of 150 kDa. Extraction of growth stimulatory activity by liver perfusion in situ demonstrated a peripheral plasma membrane protein localization. The activity increased with an increasing number of CCl4 treatments, reaching a maximum at the tenth intoxication, faster than the proliferation of connective tissues. Cessation of treatment caused a decrease in activity to the level of untreated liver, although the amount of fibroblast-like cells remained large, which is evidence in favour of an hepatocyte origin of the factor.