Ammonium detoxifying activity is maintained after 72 hours of cold preservation of rat hepatocytes in University of Wisconsin (UW) solution.

The ammonium removal efficiency (ARE) and cell viability was investigated in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes exposed to increasing ammonium loads (0.1-2.0 mM). No difference was observed in both ARE and cell viability at the different ammonium concentrations tested. Storage of hepatocytes at 0 degrees C for 72 hours inhibited ammonium removal and urea synthesis. Rewarming of cells at 37 degrees C for 120 min was followed by an ARE fully comparable to freshly isolated hepatocytes. These data indicated that cold preservation of rat hepatocytes for 3 days in UW followed by a rewarming is associated with normal ammonium detoxification efficiency.