Comparative studies on rat primary cultured and isolated hepatocytes in the evaluation of a therapeutic agents for liver disease.

We have investigated the effect of a therapeutic agent for liver disease, Laennec, on the GOT leakage from freshly isolated and primary cultured rat hepatocytes which were treated with CCl4. By treatment with Laennec together with CCl4, the GOT leakage from isolated hepatocytes increased and that from cultured hepatocytes decreased, compared to those incubated only with CCl4. The results suggest that it is better to use primary cultured hepatocytes than to use freshly isolated hepatocytes to evaluate therapeutic agents for liver disease.