[Isolation of rat hepatocytes by a nonenzymatic method: detoxifying and respiratory activity].

A procedure for isolation of rat hepatocytes involving perfusion by EDTA, mechanical disaggregation of the liver and separation of intact cells from damaged ones by low-velocity centrifugation in isotonic sucrose media is described. A layer of a darker colour formed after separation contains hepatocytes with native plasma membrane characterized by respiratory activity and rate of biotransformation being close to the values obtained with cells isolated with the application of collagenase.