Combined treatment of thymosin, amino acid, blood products and glucagon-insulin (G-I) for severe viral hepatitis reduced the death rate to 42.11-54.54% in the years from 1983 to 1985. Since 1986, 207 patients with severe viral hepatitis have been treated in our department, 80 of them died (38.6%). All of the patients were divided into 6 groups receiving different therapeutic measures. Group 1 and 2 received different combinations of the above-mentioned drugs; group 3,4,5 and 6 were given fetal liver cell suspension, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), Chinese traditional medicine and prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) either alone or in combination with other medications. Therapeutic results were better in group 3,4,5 and 6 than in group 1 and 2. Determination of the activity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) showed that it was higher in the patients than in the control subjects. TNF activity was increased in rats with experimental liver failure; HGF and PGE1 can protect experimental liver necrosis and reduce the serum TNF activity.