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 University of Wisconsin solution for 22-24 hr and then placed into culture. Satisfactory viabilities were obtained for all preparations. No loss of alcohol dehydrogenase or 7-ethoxy-3,4-dimethylcoumarin O-deethylase activity was observed in the cold stored relative to the control cultures. The protein and glutathione contents, allyl alcohol and precocene II (PII) toxicities were also similar, as was the PII-mediated glutathione depletion. For the parameters measured, cultures of cold stored hepatocytes were identical to normal cultures.