The effect of cytosine arabinoside and bromodeoxyuridine on the appearance of tyrosine aminotransferase in cultured foetal hepatocytes of the rat.

1. The acquisition of dexamethasone-inducibility of tyrosine aminotransferase activity by hepatocytes cultured from 15-day-foetal rat liver is blocked in the presence of cytosine arabinoside. 2. Similar results are obtained in the presence of bormodeoxyuridine. 3. No effects on steroid-inducibility of tyrosine aminotransferase are obtained with either of the above compounds in hepatocytes cultured from 19-day-foetal liver. 4. the inhibitory effects of the agents are substantially reversed after their removal from the culture medium. 5. The effects of bromodeoxyuridine suggest that cell differentiation, with respect to tyrosine aminotransferase-inducibility, occurs in cultures of 15-day-doetal hepatocytes. 6. The effects of cytosine arabinoside suggest that such an event is dependent on mitosis.