Figure 6.

Evaluation of a possible cytotoxic effect of somatostatin on HSC: the observed antifibrogenic effect of somatostatin was protein specific, and not due to general cytotxicity as assumed by a sensitive dynamic cellular function, namely total protein synthesis. De novo protein synthesis was measured by incorporation of Trans-³⁵S-label. Incorporation of Trans-³⁵S-label into total protein was measured by trichloroacetic acid precipitation. Total incorporation into protein in control samples was normalized at 100%. Other values were recalculated accordingly. No statistically significant differences were observed, suggesting that somatostatin, in the tested concentrations, had no toxic effects on the cells severe enough to impair total protein synthesis.