Hepatocyte‐Derived Interleukin‐6 and Tumor‐Necrosis Factor α Mediate the Lipopolysaccharide‐Induced Acute‐Phase Response and Nitric Oxide Release by Cultured Rat Hepatocytes

The regulation of acute-phase protein production and nitric oxide (NO) release in lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury is thought to occur in response to monocytes/ macrophages and Kupfrer-cell-derived cytokines. In this study, we used primary cultured rat hepatocytes maintained as a differentiated phenotype to investigate the direct effects of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) on the production of the acute-phase proteins and on NO release.