MAINTENANCE OF VIABILITY AND TRANSPORT FUNCTION AFTER PRESERVATION OFISOLATED RAT HEPATOCYTES IN VARIOUS SIMPLIFIED UNIVERSITY-OF-WISCONSIN SOLUTIONS

Rat hepatocytes were preserved for 24hr with high recovery and good ma intenance of viability and transport function both in University of Wi sconsin (UW) solution and in various simplified UW solutions. Cell qua lity is somewhat affected after 48 hr of preservation in both the orig inal UW solution and the simplified solutions. ATP content and uptake rate of taurocholic acid are more sensitive markers of cell viability than Trypan blue exclusion or the MTT test. A much less expensive solu tion than UW, containing only K+-lactobionate, KH2PO4, MgSO4 and raffi nose, can be used successfully for preservation of rat hepatocytes for 24 hr for drug transport studies.