INHIBITION OF THE RAS ONCOPROTEIN REDUCES PROLIFERATION OF HEPATOCYTES IN VITRO AND IN VIVO IN RATS Alain da Silva Morais 1 , Alain Saliez 2 , Isabelle Leclercq 1 , Yves Horsmans 1,3 , Peter Stärkel 1,3 Laboratory 1 and Department of Gastroenterology 3 , Laboratory of experimental Surgery 2 , Université Catholique de Louvain, St. Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium Short title: Ras inhibition and hepatocytes proliferation Corresponding author: Peter Stärkel, MD, PhD Department of Gastroenterology St. Luc University Hospital Av. Hippocate 10 1200 Brussels, Belgium Fax: +32/2/7648927 e-mail: Peter.starkel@gaen.ucl.ac.be Key words: ras, hepatocellular carcinoma, S-Farnesylthiosalicylic acid, cell cycle, MAPkinase, partial hepatectomy Clinical Science Immediate Publication. Published on 3 Aug 2007 as manuscript CS20070152 © 2007 The Authors Journal compilation © 2007 Biochemical Society