The effects of peritoneal rest for 24 h during peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis combination therapy were investigated using cultured human peritoneal mesothelial cell (HPMC) models. Cell activity was investigated by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenylterazolium bromide (MTT) assay after exposing HPMCs to peritoneal dialysis fluids (PDFs) with different pH levels. The following PDFs (50 microl/well) were used for exposure durations of 30 or 240 min: acidic heat-sterilized PDFs (L-H PDF, pH 5.5) and neutral heat-sterilized PDFs (N-H PDF, pH 6.7). Control wells were exposed to M-199 Hanks medium containing 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS) for 30 or 240 min. Supernatants were then aspirated from each well and M-199 culture medium containing 20% FBS (50 microl) was added to each well to rest HPMCs for 24 h before investigation of MTT activity. The activity of HPMCs exposed to L-H PDF for 240 min decreased to approximately 20% and 15% when compared with controls (glucose concentrations of 1.36% and 3.86%, respectively; P < 0.01 versus control, Tukey-Kramer test), and to approximately 60% and 40% after exposure to N-H PDF for 240 min (glucose: 1.36% and 3.86%; P < 0.01). The activity of HPMCs exposed to L-H PDF for 240 min followed by rest was approximately 20% and 4% when compared with controls (glucose: 1.36% and 3.86%; P < 0.01) and was 93% and 96% when compared with controls after exposure to N-H PDF for 240 min followed by rest (glucose: 1.36% and 3.86%). These findings suggest that rest for 24 h after exposure to N-H PDF improves the activity of HPMCs.