THE CYTOTOXICITY OF CHENODEOXYCHOLIC ACID ON PRIMARY CULTURED RAT HEPATOCYTES AND CYTOPROTECTIVE ACTION OF PROSTAGLANDIN E1

Cytotoxicity of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) on hepatocytes was studied using primary cultured rat hepatocytes and the cytoprotective effect of prostaglandin E1(PGE1) was also investigated. Marked elevation of LDH activity was noted in the culture medium of rat hepatocytes containing 0.5mM/L of CDCA even after 30 minutes incubation. Electron microscopy showed remarkable changes of the plasma membranes of cultured hepatocytes with minimal alteration of cytoplasmic organelles in the medium containing 0.5mM/L of CDCA. Addition of PGE1 in the medium minimized the release of LDH from hepatocytes cultured in the medium containing CDCA, and ultrastructural changes of the plasma membrane of cultured hepatocytes were much less conspicuous. These data indicate that PGE1 may have a beneficial effect on the changes of cultured hepatocytes induced by CDCA.