[Neutral protease activity in the rat liver during regeneration].

The aim of the present paper is to evidence whether a variation of activity of neutral proteases occurs during regeneration and neonatal growth in rat liver. Protease activity is assayed with a spectrophotometric method in total liver and hepatocyte homogenates using casein as substrate. Results show that the protease activity is Ca++-dependent; it is lower either in neonatal liver or in regenerating liver 4 hours after partial hepatectomy with respect to controls.