Effects of maternal starvation on hepatocyte proliferation in the late gestation fetal rat.

Fetal growth retardation, a common end point for a variety of conditions affecting mother and fetus, is associated with reduced liver mass. We have performed studies to determine the mechanism for decreased liver mass in a maternal starvation model of fetal growth restriction in the rat. Pregnant dams were deprived of food for 48 h before delivery on embryonic day 19 (E19).

Targeted hepatic overexpression of human IRS-1: postnatal effects in the developing mouse.

Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) is an intracellular docking protein involved in insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling. The present studies examine postnatal liver development in transgenic mice with targeted hepatic overexpression of human insulin receptor substrate-1 (hIRS-1). In mature animals, hIRS-1 overexpression augments liver growth.