• Toxicological Research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.285-302
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• 1992

Human and rat hepatocytes were isolated by nonperfusion method and cultured for longer than 5 days. Human liver biopsy sample and rat liver were used as hepatocyte source. Several physical and chemical factors which were influencing on hepatocyte isolation procedure were examined and a batch isolation procedure was established for small size sample of rat liver. Isolated hepatocytes showed normal morphlologica characteristics in microscopy and electron microscopical examinations and a morphologica response to phalloidin. Isolated cells were cultured as a monolayer and proven to have intact morphological characteristics for longer than 15 days. Because human liver sample is harder and tighter compared with rat liver, a standard procedure for rat hepatocytes was slightly modified to reduce mechanical damage. Similarly with rat hepatocytes, isolated human hepatocytes showed a normal morphological characteristics and could be cultured for longer than 15days. Human and rat hepatocytes were examined on their functional integrities including cytochrome-P450 related enzyme activity and it's inducibility, hormonal inducibility of AIB uptake and TAT activity, albumin synthesis, DNA synthesis, cellular protein maintenance. In all parameters used in the present study, human and rat hepatocytes showed normal functional characteristics.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.338-343
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• 2003

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the bidirectional transport of 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate (ANS) using isolated rat hepatocytes. The initial uptake rate of ANS by isolated hepatocytes was determined. The uptake process of ANS was saturable, with a $K_m of 29.1\pm3.2 \mu M and V_{max} of 2.9\pm0.1$ mmol/min/mg protein. Subsequently, the initial efflux rate of ANS from isolated hepatocytes was determined by resuspending preloaded cells to 3.0% (w/v) BSA buffer. The efflux process for total ANS revealed a little saturability. The mean value of the efflux clearance was $2.2\pm0.1 \mu$ L/min/mg protein. The efflux rate of ANS from hepatocytes was markedly decreased at $4^{\circ}C$, indicating that the apparent efflux of ANS might not be attributed to the release of ANS bound to the cell surface, but to the efflux of ANS from intracellular space. The efflux clearance was furthermore corrected for the unbound intracellular ANS concentration on the basis of its binding parameters to cytosol. The relation between efflux rate and unbound ANS concentration was fitted well to the Michaelis-Menten equation with a saturable and a nonsaturable components. The $V_{max} and K_m$ values were 0.54 mmol/min/mg protein, and 10.0 $\mu$ M, respectively. Based on the comparison of the ratios of $V_{max} to K_m (V_{max}/K_m)$ corresponding to the transport clearance, the influx clearance was two times higher than the efflux clearance. Together with our preliminary studies that ATP suppression in hepatocytes substantially inhibited ANS influx rate, we concluded that the hepatic uptake of ANS is actively taken up into hepatocytes via the carrier mediated transport system.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.80-86
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• 1992

Streptozotocin (STZ) is a naturally occurring nitrosoamide used extensively to produce diabetes in experimental animals. Our previous study has demonstrated that i.v. administraton of streptozotocin induces significant red blood cell hemolmysis in rats. Since it has been reported that the highest concentration of STZ is found in the liver, the effect of STZ in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes has been investigated. STZ treatment (10 mM) did not cause significant loss of viability throughout 4 hour incubation, while high dose of STZ (300 mM) to hepatocytes resulted in complete cell death within 3 hours. Addition of 40 mM glucose to incubation medium did not potentiate STZ-induced hepatotoxicity, suggesting that STZ-induced hyperglycemia in vivo did not affect its hepatotoxicity. To investigate the mechanixm of the toxicity, intracellular total glutathione level was determined. Tratment with 10 mM STZ which was not toxic to hepatocytes led to complete depletion of intracellular glutathione level within 1 hour incubation. These results suggest that STZ-induced hepatotoxicity may be independent on the intracellular glutathione depletion.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 1991

The hepatic uptake of an anionic fluorescence probe, l-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate (ANS) was characterized using isolated rat hepatocytes. The initial uptake rate of ANS by isolated hepatocytes was determined. The uptake process of ANS was fitted well to the Michaelis-Menten equation with a saturable component. The $V_{max}$ and $K_m$ values were $2.9{\pm}0.1\;nmol/min/mg$ protein and $29.1{\pm}3.2\;{\mu}M$, respectively. The uptake clearance $(CL_{up})$ based on the ratio of $V_{max}$ to $K_m$ was 11.7 ml/min/g liver, revealing the good coincidence with that assessed from the analysis of the plasma disappearance curve in previous report. Furthermore, the effect of serum protein on the hepatic uptake of ANS into isolated hepatocytes was investigated. The permeability clearances $(PS_{inf})$ of ANS uptake were much higher than those predicted based on the unbound fractions in the presence of serum. These suggested that the hepatic uptake of extensively serum protein-bound ANS is mediated not only by the unbound form of ligand but also by the serum protein-mediated uptake mechanism.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.174-177
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• 2003

The present experiment was performed to investigate the protective effects of paeonol isolated from Moutan Cortex Radicis on primary cultured rat hepatocytes exposed to Br-A23187 ($Ca^{2+}$ ionophore). Br-A23187 is frequently used as a model of cell killing as inducing both necrotic and apoptotic cell death. Hepatocytes were isolated by collagenase perfusion from livers of fasted male Sprague Dawley rats and cultured overnight. Cell viability was determined by propidium iodide using fluorocytometry in Krebs-Ringer-HEPES buffer at pH 7.4. In addition, intracellular calcium was measured by excitation at 340 and 380 nm and emission at 505 nm using a luminescence spectrophotometer. Paeonol (20-100 ${\mu}M$) inhibited cell killing induced by 10 ${\mu}M$ Br-A23187, in a dose-dependent manner. Paeonol also reduced increased intracellular calcium level when hepatocytes were exposed to Br-A23187. Therefore, the present results suggest that paeonol protects the hepatocytotoxicity induced by Br-A23187, via inhibiting the influx of calcium into into rat hepatocytes.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.301-306
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• 2006

Microcystin-LR(MC-LR), a cyanobacterial toxin produced by Microcystis aeruginosa, causes severe hepatotoxicity. Here we investigated the morphologic changes of rat hepatocyte spheroid induced by exposure of MC-LR($10^{-6}M$) in vitro. In addition, to determine the effects of such toxin in the process of hepatocyte spheroid formation, primarily isolated hepatocytes were incubated with MC-LR and the process of spheroid formation was observed. In both hepatocyte spheroid and suspension culture systems, the morphologic changes caused by MC-LR were noticible at 5 min post exposure and were characterized by the loss of microvilli, cytoplasmic vacuolation, the accumulation of lipid droplets, and blob formation. Especially, the size and numbers of blob on the cell surface were increased as the incubation time prolonged and the appearance of electron dense bodies were observed in the cytoplasm of hepatocyte at 20 min post exposure. Furthermore, bile canaliculi-like structures in the hepatocyte spheroids were slightly widened and the process of spheroids formation was inhibited in the isolated hepatocytes incubated with MC-LR. These results indicate that morphologic changes in. the hepatocyte membrane and organelles seem to be typical events in showing the MC-LR induced hepatotoxic effects and the spheroid culture method might be a useful experimental tool to evaluate hepatoxicity since it reflects the in vivo status of hepatocytes.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.259-269
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• 1996

To establish whether or not androgens is responsible for the induction of vitellogenin(Vg) synthesis and secretion, primary hepatocytes prepared from immature eels were used. The results are follows: 1. Eel hepatocytes were prepared using a collagenase perfusion technique. The isolated cells attached efficiently to fibronectin-coated dishes and subsequently formed monolayers in serum-free medium. These cultures maintained in medium for 10 days with minimal cell loss. 2. Estradiol-17$\beta$(E2) alone was insufficient to induce Vg synthesis. The combination of E2 with methyltestosterone(MT) markedly stimulated Vg synthesis. High vg production occurred in MT concentration from 10-6~10-5M in the presence of E2 (10-6M). Testosterone and androsterone were also effective, but progesterone was not effective in inducing Vg synthesis. Neither MT alone nor testosterone and androsterone alone had any effect on Vg synthesis. 3. E2-primed hepatocytes showed Vg synthesis in both media with and without hormones 1 day after culture. In the cultures with the vehicle, MT, or progesterone, the rate of synthesis seemed to decrease with time. But the combination of E2 and MT showed an intense increase in Vg synthesis. Hepatocytes isolated from E2-primed eels also required androgens for continuating of Vg synthesis. 4. These results demonstrate that androgens act together with E2 in synthesis and secretion of eel Vg.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.437-450
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• 1999

Bile canaliculi are the structure delivering bile secreted by hepatocytes into the bile passage. Bile secretion is mainly controlled by the cytoskeletal elements, mainly of actin in the microvilli, pericanalicular web. Most studies on the bile secretion have been done in viva situation, however, to control the various parameters in vitro culture system seem to be more useful. To set up an in vitro experimental system, the investigator isolated hepatocytes with an enzymatic method using a mixture of collagenase and hyaluronidase from normal Sprague-Dawley rat liver and cultured. Isolated hepatocytes were round and formed cords in culture. Microvilli covered the whole surface of hepatocytes. Bile canaliculi were formed between hepatocytes and were characterized by the presence of microvilli of various lengths and shapes mainly arising from small surface mounds. Actin filament core in the microvilli and pericanalicular actin web were incomplete. After cytochalasin D treatment, cultured hepatocytes were round but the surface were irregular with surfacen blebs, folds and grooves. Microvilli on the surface were scarce. Bile canaliculi were markedly dilated often with the detached junctional complexes. Bile canaliculi lacks microvilli almost completely and extended into the pericanalirular cytoplasm showing complex vacuolar and tubular structures by transmission electron mciroscopy. Pericanalicular actin web, intermediate filaments were hardly identified. Subsurface actin filaments were scattered scarcely under the cell membranes. These results suggest that hepatocytes isolated from rats can survive and form bile canaliculi in culture and the actin filaments are involved in the formation and/or maintenance of the bile canaliculi.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.984-988
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• 2002

The issue of whether or not the presence NOx (NO and oxidized metabolites) in the hepatocytes at pathological levels affects the functional activity of transport systems within the sinusoidal membrane was investigated. For this purpose, the effect of the pretreatment of isolated hepatocytes with sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a spontaneous NO donor, on the sinusoidal uptake of tributylmethylammonium (TBuMA) and triethylmethyl ammonium (TEMA), representative substrates of the organic cation transporter (OCT), and taurocholate, a representative substrate of the $Na^+$/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP), was measured. The uptake of TBuMA and TEMA was not affected by the pretreatment, as demonstrated by the nearly identical kinetic parameters for the uptake ($i.e., V_{max}, K_{m} and CL_{linear}$). The uptake of mannitol into hepatocytes was not affected, demonstrating that the membrane integrity remained constant, irregardless of the SNP prutreatment. On the contrary, the uptake of taurocholate was significantly inhibited by the pretreatment, resulting in a significant decrease in V_{max}$, thus providing a clear demonstration that NOx preferentially affects the function of NTCP rather than OCT on the sinusoidal membrane. A direct interaction between NOx and NTCP or a decrease in $Na^+/K^+$ ATPase activity as the result of SNP pretreatment might be responsible for this selective effect of NOx.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.181-185
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• 1995

To know the mechanism of biphenyl dimethyl dicarboxylate (DDB) in the protection of chemically induced hepatotoxicity, the activity of glutamic pyruvic tran.saminase (GPT) and the level of lipid peroxidation metabolite (malondialdehyde, MDA) and ATP content in hepatocytes were determined in serum and primarily cultured hepatocytes. For in vibo study, rats were pretreated with DDB (300 mg/ kg, p.o.)for 7 days. DDB pretreatment efficiently reduced the elevation of serum GPT activity induced by carbon tetrachloride (1.6 ml/kg, s.c.) and acetaminophen administration (1500 mg/kg, i.p.). In ex vivo study, hepatocytes were isolated from the rats pretreated with DDB (300 mg/kg, p.o.)for 7 days and cultured for 12 hrs before inducing cytotoxicity with chemicals. The MDA formation and the GPT release induced by adriamycin $(1\times10^{-4} mg/ml)$ and cisplatin $(2\times10^{-4} mg/ml)$ were markedly decreased in the hepatocytes from the rats pretreated with DDB as compared to vehicle only. However, DDB pretreatment did not prevent the decrease of ATP contents of hepatocytes induced by cisplatin and adriamycin. In in vitro experiment, DDB was pretreated in primary cultured hepatocytes for 3 days. DDB enhanced the decreases of ATP contents induced by cisplatin and adriamycln. These results suggest that DDB may protect the hepatocytes from injury induced by hepatotoxlcants through inhibiting the lipid peroxidation.