Abstract:Laparoscopically, patchy liver and nodular liver were considered as features of regeneration of liver cells. In this study, the regenerating capacity of liver cells obtained by a liver biopsy from laparoscopically identified patchy liver and nodular liver was estimated by Bromodeoxvuridine (BrdU)‐anti‐BrdU method. BrdU labeling indices (L. I.), of liver cells in biopsy specimens from 6 normal livers, 12 patchy livers, and from 15 nodular livers were examined using an in‐vitro labeling technique. Liver biopsy specimens obtained by a Tru‐cut needle were immediately incubated for 45 min. in 0.1% BrdU solution in RPMI 1640 at 37°C under a pressure of 3 atmospheres in a mixture of 95% O2and 5% CO2. Immunohistochemical detection of BrdU was performed by the Avidin‐Biotin‐Peroxidase Complex (ABC) method. The mean BrdU L. I. (±SE) of normal liver, patchy liver, and of nodular liver was 0.25±0.09%, 1.4±0.2%, and 1.7±0.4% respectively. Among the nodular liver, flat shaped ones showed a low level (0.5±0.1%), in contrast to the high level (2.4±0.7%) in the semispherical nodular liver. The BrdU L. I. of both the patchy liver and the nodular liver was significantly higher than that in the normal liver (p<0.001, p<0.01 respectively).Interesting enough, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) between flat shaped nodular livers and semispherical ones. The semispherical nodular liver demonstrated the highest capacity of DNA synthesis in all t