Studies in vitro on the influence of ursodeoxycholate sodium salt (UDC) on hepatocyte proliferation

In this study the influence of sodium ursodeoxycholate (UDC) on hepatocyte replicative activity was evaluated using quiescent or primed hepatocytes obtained from normal rats or from rats fed with a protein-free diet, respectively. At physiological concentrations UDC stimulated proliferation in quiescent or primed hepatocytes cultured in minimum essential medium plus insulin, and augmented the replicative activity in hepatocytes already stimulated by low concentration of epidermal growth factor and normal rat serum. However, UDC was not the only bile salt (BS) to show this stimulatory effect on hepatocyte proliferation. The stimulatory activity of BSs was not correlated with their degree of hydrophilia.