Glucose-6-phosphatase heterogeneity within the hepatic lobule of the phenobarbital-treated rat.

The action of phenobarbital daily injected has been studied on the rat liver. After 3 injections of 100 mg/kg, the centrolobular hepatocytes exhibit a large proliferation of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum with an important decrease of the glucose-6-phosphatase activity cytochemically detected. The perilobular hepatocytes do not show any modifications of their structure or of their enzymatic activity. These observations demonstrate that in the centrolobular zone, the glucose-6-phosphatase sites became separated from each other by the extension of the new smooth endoplasmic reticulum membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]