[Effect of thromboxane B2 on morphological features of apoptosis in cultured rat hepatocytes exposed to hepatotropic substances].

Thromboxanes (TX) are known to have damaging effect on a liver but their influence on the cell death, in particular on hepatocyte apoptosis and its morphological features is not investigated enough. Cell death of the rat hepatocytes was investigated in primary culture by double vital staining with fluorescent nuclear stains Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide and by electron microscopy. It was established that exogenous Tx B2 increases the amount of hepatocytes with early stages of apoptosis - the condensed chromatin and nucleus and cell size reduction. The changes in a percentage of hepatocytes with morphological features of the late stages of apoptosis - fragmented nuclei and division on apoptotic bodies were not revealed. Tx B2 intensified the carbon tetrachloride action on hepatocyte apoptotic death and increased chromatin condensation. Tx B2 application to hepatocytes injured by chenodeoxycholic acid significantly increased the amount of cells with a final stage ofapoptosis.