Effects of intrasplenic injection of hepatocytes, hepatocyte fragments and hepatocyte culture supernatants on D-galactosamine-induced liver failure in rats.

Intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 g/kg D-galactosamine results in 95% lethal acute acute liver failure in male Fisher 344 rats. Intrasplenic injection of viable syngeneic hepatocytes 20-28 h after poisoning improves survival in a dose-dependent fashion, 10(7) cells being the optimal dose with a survival rate of 47.1%. While nonviable cells and hepatocyte fragments are totally ineffective, 42.9% of rats survive after injection of 28-hour liver cell culture supernatant. It is concluded that soluble factors generated by cultured cells in vitro or intrasplenically transplanted cells improve survival either by a direct hepatotrophic effect, by stimulation of the reticulo-endothelial system or by an unspecific humoral mechanism.