The liver is of central importance in the metabolism of essential and
toxic metals such as cadmium. Cadmium pretreatment suppressed the liver
regenerative response to partial hepatectomy, due to the inhibition of
the enzymatic activity of thymidine kinase. Exogenous putrescine
administration has been reported to stimulate liver regeneration in
animal models of acute liver failure. The purpose of this study was to
document whether the administration of this polyamine enhances the
impaired regenerative capacity of hepatocytes in cadmium pretreated
partially hepatectomized rats. The intraperitoneal administration of
putrescine (1 or 10 mg/kg body weight), at the time of surgery and at 4
and 8 hr postoperatively partly restored the suppressed hepatocyte
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) biosynthesis and thymidine kinase activity
in cadmium-pretreated partially hepatectomized rats. Mitotic activity
and the percentage of hepatocytes positive for proliferating cell
nuclear antigen nuclei were in accordance with the liver proliferative
status. Our results showed that exogenous putrescine administration is
able to improve diminished liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy
in this animal model of acute hepatic injury
