The liver is an organ with a high self-regeneration ability. The search for factors which help to keep the health of this organ and its potential to regenerate has been at the center of academic interest for a long time. Over the last decades, research was focusing more and more on the microbiom and its role for the human organism over the last decades. Clostridium sporogenes, a physiologic bacterial family in human gut was described by Wikoff et al. as only producer of the antioxidative compound Indole-3-propionic acid (IPA). Chyan et al. already successfully proved a protective effect against oxidative stress in primary neurons. The project, the present paper is based on, was set up to prove a positive effect of IPA on primary hepatocytes and show a potential symbiotic regulation of hepatic metabolism by a bacteria-derived metabolite. Methodically a primary culture of hepatocytes was tested in a CCl4-based cytotoxicity-model. Results of TBARS-Assay, LDH and ALT in the cell culture suggest a dose-dependent hepoprotective effect. Western blotting and densitometric quantification suggest a potential Induction of HSP27 und SOD1 by IPA
