• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.496-501
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• 1992

The present work tested the inhibitory effects of bile acids on the cholesterol biosynthesis and the activity of HMG-CoA reductase in cultured rat hepatocytes. The uptake of bile acids in hepatocytes were increased in according to the different bile acid concentrations and culture times. The rate of cholesterol synthesis in cells were inversely decreased to the bile acid concentrations and culture times. As expected, insulin injection (4 units/100g body weight) showed an enhancing effect of the cholesterol synthesis and the HMG-CoA reductase activity. The addition of bile acids in medium of insulin-treated hepatocytes also showed the suppressing effect. This effect was directly confirmed in isolated hepatic icrosomes by the test of HMG-CoA reductase activity. In the test of $Na^+$,$K^+$-ATPase activity in the isolated hepatocyte membrane, only the cholic acid did not stimulate the enzyme system. The reason of such difference is not obvious, but this result indicates that the cholic acid could be absorbed by simple diffusion.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.718-722
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• 1998

Scopoletin (7-hydroxy-6-methoxycoumarin), a coumarin, was isolated from the aerial part of Solanum lyratum Thunb. by the activity-guided fractionation employing carbon te trachloride-intoxicated primary cultured rat hepatocytes as a screening system. Its hepatoprotective activity was first evaluated by measuring the release of glutamic pyruvic transaminase and sorbitol dehydrogenase from carbon tetrachloride-intoxicated rat hepatocytes into the culture medium. Scopoletin significantly reduced the releases of glutamic pyruvic transaminase and sorbitol dehydrogenase from the carbon tetrachloride-intoxicated primary cultured rat hepatocytes by 53% and 58%, respectively, from the toxicity in a dose-dependent manner over concentration ranges of 1mcM to 50mcM. Further studies revealed that at the concentration of 10mcM, scopoletin significantly preserved glutathione content by 50% and the activity of superoxide dismutase by 36% and also inhibited the production of malondialdehyde to the degree as seen in the control.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.271-277
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• 1992

Rat hepatocytes were isolated by collagenase perfusion method and cultured on the collagen coated dish or on the floating collagen membrane. Using the primary cu1tured hepatocytes, the efficiency of cell attachment and the hepatic functions such as gluconeogenesis, ureogenesis and albumin synthesis were studied. The cell viability was kept above 50% until 5 days and the hepatic functions of ammonia metabolism and albumin synthesis were maintained until 7 days. Floating collagen membrane was found to be more efficient than the collagen coated dish for the maintenance of hepatic function in-vitro.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.96-102
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• 1998

Primary hepatocytes of small animals such as rat and rabbit were often used for the study of extracorporeal liver support systems. Freshly isolated rat hepatocytes form spheroids within tow days when cultivated as suspension in spinner vessels. These spheroids showed enhanced liver specific functions and more differentiated morphology compared to hepatocytes cultured as monolayers However, shear stress caused by continuous agitation deteriorated spheroids gradually. In this work we immobilized spheroids to prolong liver specific activities. First, hepatocyte spheroids were suspended in collagen solution containing calcium chloride and then dropped into alginate solution. A thin layer of calcium alginate was formed around the droplet and then was removed after the inner collagen was gelled by treatment of sodium citrate buffer. Spheroids embedded in collagen-gel bead maintained liver specific functions such as albumin secretion rate longer than hepatocyte spheroids exposed to shear stress. Therefore, we suggest that this immobilization technique may offer an effective long-term hepatocyte cultivation and facilitase the development of a bioartificial liver support device.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.263-269
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• 1998

It is an established fact that most of the carcinogens implicate bay-region diol epoxides as the ultimate carcinogenic metabolites. These electrophiles react with nucleophilic sites in the cells to form abducts. It is the formation of carcinogenic-DNA adducts that is thought to initiate carcinogenesis. In our previous study we have reported chemopreventive property of Ginseng on 7,12-dimethylbenz (a)anthracene (DMBA) induced skin papillomagenesis in male Swiss albino mice. In this study we have examined the effect on formation of DMBA-DNA adducts in rat hepatocytes pretreated with ginseng. Primary cultures of rat hepatocytes were used. The cells wets treated with ginseng for 24 hrs and then with DMBA (iOn) for 18 hrs. Cells were then harvested, their DNA was isolated and analyzed by P)2 labelling. A significant reduction in the levels of DMBA-DNA adduces (adducts/108 nucleotides) was observed in all cultures pretreated with ginseng. The viability of cells was not affected by pre-treatment with ginseng. Our finding suggests that ginseng block or suppresses the events associated with chemical carcinogenesis by inhibiting metabolic activation of the carcinogens.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.289-294
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• 2012

Gene expressions of cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A), aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and vitellogenin (Vg) by endocrine disruptors, benzo[${\alpha}$]pyrene (B[a]P) and tributyltin (TBT) were examined in cultured eel hepatocytes which were isolated from eels treated previously with B[a]P (10 mg/kg) or estradiol-$17{\beta}$ (20 mg/kg) in vivo, and the relationship between CYP1A, AhR and Vg genes were studied. When the cultured eel hepatocytes were treated with B[a]P ($10^{-6}-10^{-5}M$) the gene expressions of CYP1A and AhR were enhanced in a concentration-dependent manner. However, when treated with TBT ($10^{-9}-10^{-5}M$) the gene expressions of CYP1A and AhR were suppressed at high concentrations ($10^{-6}-10^{-5}M$), while having no effects at low concentrations ($10^{-9}-10^{-7}M$). Gene expression of Vg was also suppressed by TBT in a concentration-dependent manner in cultured eel hepatocytes which was previously treated in vivo with estradiol-$17{\beta}$.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.116-125
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• 2005

Orthotopic liver transplantation is the treatment of choice for inherited metabolic diseases. However, the supply of donor organs is limiting and therefore many patients cannot benefit from this therapy. In contrast, hepatocytes can be isolated from a single donor liver. They can be transplanted into several recipients, and this procedure may help overcome the shortage of donor livers. A great deal of work with animal models indicates that hepatocytes transplanted into the liver or spleen can survive, function, and participate in the normal regenerative process. Recent clinical studies suggest that hepatocyte transplantation may be useful for bridging patients to whole organ transplantation and for providing metabolic support during liver failure and for replacing whole organ transplantation in certain inherited metabolic diseases. Nowadays, hepatocytes from various stem cells have been regarded as an another cell source for treatment of inherited metabolic diseases. Although cell therapy using stem cells for inherited metabolic disease patient has been accepted only as an experimental trial yet, hepatocytes from stem cells can solve a lot of obstacles in the treatment of inherited metabolic diseases.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.64-69
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• 2003

To analyze vasopressin-induced $Ca^{2+}$ increase in liver cells, rat hepatocytes were isolated and attached to collagen-coated cover slips. Using fura-2, a $Ca^{2+}$-sensing dye, changes in intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration by vasopressin were monitored. Results in this communication suggested that vasopressin-induced $Ca^{2+}$ increase were composed of both $Ca^{2+}$ release from internal $Ca^{2+}$ stores and influx from the plasma membrane. The $Ca^{2+}$ influx consisted of two distinguishable components. One was dependent on the presence of vasopressin and the other was not. SK＆F96365 blocked vasopressin-induced $Ca^{2+}$ influx in a dose-dependent manner. Vasopressin-induced $Ca^{2+}$ release from internal stores diminished in a primary culture of hepatocytes according to the culture time. However, changes in vasopressin-induced $Ca^{2+}$ influx across the plasma membrane differed from changes in the $Ca^{2+}$ release from internal stores, suggesting two separate signalings from receptor activation to internal stores and to the plasma membrane.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.23-26
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• 2006

Effects of sera from several fish species and insulin on the development of cultured Silurus asotus hepatocytes were investigated. Hepatocytes with high viability (95%) were obtained from the livers of male catfish by two step collagenase perfusion. Isolated hepatocytes, initially showed a typical round-shape, firmly attached to the culture dish within 24 h. In the presence of catfish serum, hepatocytes attached each other, spread well on the dish and developed into monolayer after 3-4 days of incubation. Cells within the established monolayer became polygonal in shape and their nuclei and boundaries being clearly visible under the microscope. In contrast, when incubated in FBS-supplemented or serum-free medium, cells managed to form small clusters, each made of 2-10 cells. Cells in FBS-supplemented medium further developed into larger clusters. However, these clusters failed to develope into monolayer. In addition, when insulin was deprived from culture medium, formation of monolayer also failed. From these data, it can be concluded that the presence of both catfish serum and insulin is necessary for the formation of monolayer of catfish hepatocytes and the functional role of fish serum may differ from that of insulin and can not be displaced by FBS-supplementation.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.129-141
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• 1987

Hepatocytes isolated from rats which have been pretreated with phenobarbital (80 mg/kg for 3 days), were able to take up N-acetylcysteine from surrounding medium and were able to synthesize the reduced glutathione ($GSH^{\ast}-3$) intracellularly. The N-acetylcysteine is quickly deacetylated after the uptake and increases the pool size of cysteine, which was very low initially (5 nmol/$10^6$ cells). From this increased intracellular cysteine pool, GSH was synthesized. Freshly isolated rat hepatocytes contained a high level of GSH (30 nmol/$10^6$ cells), but upon incubation with the diethylmaleate, it was markedly decreased (10 nmol/$10^6$ cells). The hepatocytes with depleted GSH have lost viability upon incubations with acetaminophen (5mM) and paraquat (2 mM). However, when the N-acetylcysteine (1 mM) was added to this incubation condition, these chemical induced hepatocellular necrosis were prevented for longer durations. This N-acetylcysteine dependent protective effect against the hepatotoxic chemicals was lost by adding methionine sulfoximine (10 mM), an inhibitor of GSH biosynthesis. Both the carbontetrachloride (5 mM) and chioroform (5 mM) added to the incubation medium caused rapid losses of GSH and cell viability, even without the prior depletion of cellular GSH. However, again, if the 1mM N-acetylcysteine was supplemented, the rates of losses of GSH and cell viability were retarded in both cases. Even though large amounts of the added N-acetylcysteine was present in the cell, N-acetylcysteine conjugate of acetaminophen was not formed. Instead, only large amounts of GSH conjugate of the drug was produced. Thus, it is concluded that the added N-acetylcysteine is taken up and utilized for resynthesis of GSH. In turn, this resynthesized GSH contributes to the protection against cytotoxicity inducible with hepatotoxic drugs.