The release of cytoplasmic enzyme, glutamate oxaloacetate amino-transferase (GOT) was induced when 5 mM carbon tetrachloride (CCI4) was present in the medium of primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes.Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) at 5 ng/ml almost completely prevented this leakage of GOT from the cells.Pre»-treatment of the cells with HGF for more than 6 h was also effective in protecting against enzyme leakage.Moreover, when HGF was added to CCl4-damaged cells, the subsequent leakage of GOT was prevented.As HGF apparently has a potent protective effect on in vitro hepatitis, the possibility that it can be used as an anti-hepatitis drug deserves further research.
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Takehara et al. (1991) studied this question.