Pattern of methionine adenosyltransferase isoenzyme expression during rat liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy

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Abstract
The present report investigates the pattern of expression of liver‐specific and extrahepatic methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) isoenzymes in regenerating rat liver after partial hepatectomy. The results show that there is a switch in the expression of these isoenzymes that is coincident with maximal cell proliferation in the remaining liver lobes. Extrahepatic MAT levels increase about three times 4 h after hepatectomy, reaching a maximum 36 h later. This is accompanied by a rapid and transient increase in total MAT activity and levels of related metabolites S‐adenosyl‐l‐methionine and S‐adenosyl‐l‐homocysteine. Liver‐specific MAT levels are reversibly down‐regulated within 24–48 h post surgery. Our results indicate that MAT isoenzyme expression is tightly regulated during liver regeneration after two‐third hepatectomy. The implications of these observations for evaluation of the degree of liver regeneration are briefly discussed.