• 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.

• 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.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2006

The methanol extracts of the roots, root bark and stem of Berberis tinctoria, were investigated for their hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride $(CCl_4)$ induced toxicity in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes, HEp-G2 cells and animal models. The methanol extracts were able to significantly normalise the levels of aspartate amino transferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, triglycerides, total proteins, albumin, total bilirubin and direct bilirubin, which were altered due to $CCl_4$ intoxication in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes and also in animal models. The anti-hepatotoxic effect of the methanol extracts in vitro were observed at $600\;-\;1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ concentrations. A dose dependent increase in the percentage viability was observed when $CCl_4$ exposed HEp-G2 cells were treated with different concentrations of the methanol extracts. The highest percentage viability of HEp-G2 was observed at a concentration of $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$. The results from the present investigations also indicate good correlation between the in vivo and in vitro studies.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.278-283
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• 1992

Rat hepatocytes were isolated and cultured on the petri dishes treated with various coating materials. Untreated or collagen coated petri dish gave monolayer culture of hepatocyte and proteoglycan, dermatan sulfate, and BSA treated petri dish gave hemispheroid. The untreated Primaria petri dish gave spheroid type of hepatocyte, and heparin and hyaluronic acid treatment gave multilayers. To sustain high cell viability, monolayer cultured hepatocytes was more useful, while it was found that the hemispheroid or spheroid type hepatocytes was more active in the hepatic functions such as ammonia metabolism and albumin synthesis.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 1989

The effect of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and its major metabolite, 3, 5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (BHT-acid) on the uptake of taurocholate into hepatocytes was studied using the primary culture of rat hepatocytes. Hepatocyte were isolated by an in situ collagenase perfusion technique and maintained as a monolayer in serum-free meadia for 24 hours before use. The uptake of taurocholate was saturable with an apparent Km of 12.8+2.8 MuM and Vmax of 0.18+0.01 nmol/mg/min. Both BHT and BHT-acid inhibited the hepatocellular uptake of taurocholate when they were added to the culture.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 1987

Primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes were used to study the cytotoxicity of D-galactosamine. Hepatocytes were isolated by a collagenase perfusion technique and maintained as monolayers in serum-free medium on collagen-coated culture dishes. Treatment of galactosamine to the culture markedly inhibited the uptake of ${\alpha}$-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) inducible with glucagon and dexamethasone. At0.1 mM of galactosamine, AIB uptake was inhibited significantly when treated for 12 hr. At higher doses (0.25, 0.5 and 1.0mM), a significant inhibition was noticed after 1 hr exposure. Generally the magnitude of the inhibition was related to the dose and treatment time of galactosamine. Treatment of galactosamine also produced a dose- and treatment time-related suppression of the tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) induction caused by dexamethasone. Meanwhile, uptake of ouabain was not affected by the treatment of galactosamine. The viability of the hepatocytes was decreased only slightly by the treatment of galactosamine; more than 87% of the cells excluded tryphane blue when treated 1 mM galactosamine for 12 hr. Galactosamine induced depressions of AIB uptake and TAT activity were prevented by the simultaneous addition of uridine to the culture. D-Galactosamine, cytotoxicity, hepatocytes culture, ${\alpha}$-aminoisobutyric acid uptake, tyrosine aminotransferase.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.169-177
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• 2016

There is a growing interest in the application of primary hepatocytes for treatment of liver diseases in humans and for drug development. Several studies have focused on long-term survival and di-differentiation blocking of primary hepatocytes in an in vitro culture system. Therefore, the present study also aimed to optimize an in vitro culture system using primary rat hepatocytes. Primary rat hepatocytes from 6-week-old male Crl:CD rats were isolated using a modified two-step collagenase perfusion. Healthy $3.5{\times}10^6$ primary rat hepatocytes were seeded into a 2 dimensional (2D) culture in a 25T culture flask coated with collagen type I or into a 3D culture in a 125-ml spinner flask for 7 days. Production of plasma protein (ALB and TF), apoptosis (BAX and BCL2), and CYP (CYP3A1) related genes were compared between the 2D and 3D culture systems. The 3D culture system had an advantage over the 2D system because of the relatively high expression of ALB and low expression of BAX in the 3D system. However, the level of CYP3A1 did not improve in the 3D culture with and without the presence of a dexamethasone inducer. Therefore, 3D culture has an advantage for albumin production and primary rat hepatocyte survivability, but a low expression of CYP3A1 indicated that primary rat hepatocytes require a high-density culture for stress reduction by continuous flow.

• 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.

• 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.