Application of 500 mg D-galactosamine/kg body weight to rats results in severe hepatocellular injury 10 hours thereafter which includes the appearance of large autophagic vacuoles (focal cytoplasmic degradation) and scattered single cell necroses. Pretreatment with one large dosis of cycloheximide (15 mg/kg) prevents the formation of autophagic vacuoles while parenchymal cell necroses are present as before. These observations suggest that cycloheximide may act as a potent inhibitor of autophagocytosis not only in intact cells—as previously reported by Rez and Kovacs 1973—but also in severely altered hepatocytes.