MAINTENANCE OF XENOBIOTIC METABOLISM AND TOXICITY IN RAT HEPATOCYTE CULTURES AFTER CELL PRESERVATION AT 4-DEGREES

Isolated rat hepatocytes were stored at 4-degrees in modified Universi ty of Wisconsin solution for 22-24 hr and then placed into culture. Sa tisfactory viabilities were obtained for all preparations. No loss of alcohol dehydrogenase or 7-ethoxy-3,4-dimethylcoumarin 0-deethylase ac tivity was observed in the cold stored relative to the control culture s. The protein and glutathione contents, allyl alcohol and precocene I I (PII) toxicities were also similar, as was the PII-mediated glutathi one depletion. For the parameters measured, cultures of cold stored he patocytes were identical to normal cultures.