Effect of protease inhibitors on albumin secretion in hepatoma cells.

Albumin biosynthesis and secretion have been studied in hepatoma cell cultures. The “in vivo” addition of the protease inhibitors antipain or leupeptin caused a fifty per cent reduction in the secretion of albumin without any effect on the total protein synthesis. Pulse and chase experiments in the absence or presence of protease inhibitors have also shown that these substances decrease markedly the rate of albumin secretion.