Response of liver cells to insulin at 1 week postnatal as influenced by a prior action of the same hormone at the time of birth (hormonal imprinting): an electron microscopic study

Liver cells of rats given a single insulin dose at birth (imprinted) do not alter from the controls at 1 week postnatal. When hormone treatment occurs at 1 week postnatal without any prior administration of it, an increase in glycogen and lipid with nuclear deposition of the latter can be seen. The cell surface displays a dense layer, and increased micropinocytosis is accompanied by an increase in the number of coated pits and vesicles. Liver cells of imprinted animals treated repeatedly at 1 week postnatal have much more glycogen and lipid, and more prominent endoplasmic reticulum but a less mature Golgi apparatus. The dense substance of the cell surface is missing and the signs of endocytosis are rarely seen. These alterations indicate the influence of imprinting on hormone binding and possibly on the next steps after interaction in the cell.