Abstract
In female rats, ligature of the common bile duct for 5 weeks caused hepatic enlargement, bile duct-proliferation and hyperplasia of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER). Biochemically, however, there was a decrease of microsomal protein and cytochrome P-450 content, of NADPH cytochrome C reductase and bilirubin-UDP-glucuronyl-transferase activities, as well as of ethylmorphine N -demethylation indicating that bile duct-obstruction induced hypertrophic but hypoactive SER. Prior and continued administration of pregnenolone- 16α-carbonitrile (PCN) to ligated animals corrected all these biochemical changes showing that the hypoactivity of the SER is reversible.

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