The effect of partial hepatectomy on glucose-stimulated insulin release from the isolated perfused pancreas in rats

To investigate the functional changes of endocrine pancreas in the early stage after partial hepatectomy, we evaluated the changes in the secretion of insulin to glucose load in perfused rat pancreas at 4 and 7 days after about 70% hepatectomy. Insulin responses to glucose load were significantly augmented at 4 days compared with both the normal and sham-operation rats and at 7 days also significantly augmented compared with the normal rats. These results are in accordance with the morphological changes of islet and indicate that in the early stage after hepatectomy, the response of islet B-cells to glucose load are increased in order to support the glucose metabolism in this stage. Thus, insulin seems to play an important role in the regenerating liver after hepatectomy and these changes seem to be one of the adaptation of endocrine pancreas after hepatectomy to support the regenerating liver.