Gene expression (mRNA levels of apolipoprotein A-1, c-fos and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in freshly isolated hepatocytes was compared with that in cold-preserved hepatocytes and in cells isolated from cold-preserved whale liver. Expression of GAPDH remained constant during preservation of whole liver and isolated hepatocytes as compared with freshly isolated hepatocytes. In hepatocytes from cold-preserved liver an increase in the expression of apolipoprotein A-1 and c-fos was observed at 4 and 8 h, whereas at 24 h apolipoprotein A-1 mRNA levels were elevated and c-fos levels decreased as compared with freshly isolated hepatocytes. In contrast, in cold-preserved hepatocytes the mRNA expression of c-fos decreased, Also, a tendency to decrease (not statistically significant) was noticed for the expression of apolipoprotein A-1. Our results suggest the possibility that paracrine communication between non-parenchymal and parenchymal cells participate in the enhanced expression of c-fos and apolipoprotein A-1 mRNAs in hepatocytes from cold-preserved whole liver.