The role of the vagus nerve in liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy was studied by comparing the effects of hepatic branch vagotomy with those of hepatic branch sympathectomy in rats. The liver weight as a percentage of body weight decreased significantly 7 days after vagotomy compared with the controls and this was associated with a reduction in food intake. There was no difference in the liver weights between the control rats and the pair-fed vagotomized rats. Hepatic sympathectomy had no significant effect on the liver weight. The serum scores indicating hepatic function showed no difference between the control and the vagotomized rats except alkaline phosphatase. The concentration of insulin was unchanged. The number of mitotic hepatocytes remained high at 7 days after vagotomy: These observations led us to conclude that the vagus nerve stimulates liver regeneration, and its effect depends on vagal factors directly and specifically.

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The effect of omeprazole on liver regeneration was studied in rats following partial (65 per cent) hepatectomy. Omeprazole 0.2 mg/kg increased the relative liver weight (weight of liver as a proportion of body-weight) and mitotic index (P < 0.05). There was no difference in food and water intake. The serum gastrin concentration was significantly higher in animals receiving omeprazole 0.2 mg/kg than in controls (P < 0.05). Omeprazole administration induced an increase in the level of serum alkaline phosphatase (P < 0.05) but had no effect on serum albumin, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase and total bilirubin levels. Omeprazole stimulates liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy and this regeneration may be mediated by gastrin.

A 28-year-old man developed Crohn's disease and myelodysplastic syndrome concurrently. Chromosomal analysis of the bone marrow revealed a normal male karyotype. Subsequently, the myelodysplastic syndrome progressed to acute myelocytic leukemia. Several causes, including the medical treatment for Crohn's disease, chromosomal abnormalities, and a common underlying immune dysfunction, have been proposed as pathogenetic factors in the association with Crohn's disease of hematologic malignancies. This case suggests that neither medical treatment for Crohn's disease nor chromosomal abnormalities are inevitable causes of the development of hematologic malignancies associated with Crohn's disease. At present, the cause of the association remains unclear, although the idea of a common immune dysfunction is attractive.

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