Abstract: In this study 71 male Wistar rats were used and divided into experimental group and control group. In the experimental group, D-galactosamine dissolved in physiological saline was given intraperitoneally (600mg/kg). In control group, equal amount of physiological saline was given. After 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 days, specimens of the tail portion of pancreas were taken under fasted condition for 12 h. The specimens were fixed in Bouin＇s fixative and paraffin sections were made. The immunohistochemical PAP method was used to demonstrate insulin-containing B cells, glucagon-containing A cells and somatostatin-containing D cells. The immunoreactivity of the islet cells was estimated semiquantitatively in order to evaluate the changes of the endocrine activity of the islet cells after liver injury, and the date were analysed statistically, 1～5days after D-galactosamine injection, the liver damage was intensive and regeneration also is active. During the same time, the insulin-immunoreactivity of B ceils decreased; the glucagon-immunoreactivity of A ceils decreased even more, and reached the least at 2nd or 3rd day. On the contrary, the somatostatin-immunoreactivity of D cells increased. At the 7th day, the liver injury tended to recovery and the immunoreactivity of these 3 kinds of islet cells was similar to those of the control group. The results suggest that the changes of endocrine activity of B cell and A cell seem to be closely related to liver injury and regeneration. The changes of D cells may indicate that they exerted probably some regulation roles on the secretion activity of B cell and A cell.

Key words: D-galactosamine, liver injury, liver regeneration, immunohistochemistry, pancreatic islet