Effect of Antiandrogen. Flutamide on Measures of Hepatic Regeneration in Rats

Male rat liver undergoes a process of demasculinization during hepatic regeneration The liver of mammals has been found to have a number of sexually dimorphic characteristics (1-3). During regeneration following partial hepatectomy, male rat liver is demasculinized in that many male-specific hepatic attributes disappear with the onset of the regenerative response (4). These changes include increases in hepatic estrogen receptor activity and serum estradiol levels and reductions in the level of serum testosterone and the hepatic content of androgen receptor, as well as reductions in the levels of several androgen-responsive hepatic proteins. The importance of hepatic demasculinization during regeneration has not yet been determined. However, if hepatic demasculinization is an important aspect of the regeneration process, then the administration of an antiandrogenic drug might be expected to intensity the demasculinization process and in so doing increase the rate of regeneration