Use of hepatocytes in primary culture for biochemical studies on liver functions

Summary Rat parenchymal hepatocytes isolated with collagenase were cultured as monolayers in Williams medium E supplemented with calf serum. Freshly isolated cells showed very low activities of various liver functions, and they had to be cultured for 6-24 h to allow recovery of these functions. Insulin and dexamethasone greatly increased cell viability in primary culture. After culture for 24 h, these cells showed various liver functions as seen in vivo and responded well to various added hormones and amino acids. The concentrations of amino acids in the medium regulated synthesis of serum proteins and insulin stimulated lipogenesis, which in turn regulated synthesis of lipoproteins. Insulin also stimulated glycogen synthesis and the stimulation was parallel with the number of insulin receptors. Glucagon stimulated glycogenolysis and its stimulation involved the function of the cytoskeleton. Glucagon and dexamethasone induced various enzymes of amino acid catabolism, such as tryptophan oxygenase, tyrosine aminotransferase and serine dehydratase. These inductions were inhibited by insulin or catecholamine. The effect of catecholamine was due to its -adrenergic action. The -action of isoproterenol was low in freshly isolated cells, but increased during culture of the cells. Acquirement of hormonal responses during neonatal development can be studied in this culture system. Mature hepatocytes in culture are usually quiescent, but when insulin and epidermal growth factor were added, DNA synthesis by the cells increased markedly and they showed density-dependent growth. In this culture system, serum could be omitted for 2 days when the dishes were coated with fibronectin without appreciable change of functions, but serum was needed for longer culture of the cells. A factor that increased cell survival was found in serum and in pituitary gland.These results show that hepatocytes in primary culture are a simple and useful system for studies of liver functions in vitro and related works were also reviewed.     

Role of leukemia inhibitory factor in the regulation of the proliferation and differentiation of neonatal mouse epidermal melanocytes in culture

Mouse epidermal melanoblasts/melanocytes preferentially proliferated from disaggregated epidermal cell suspensions derived from newborn mouse skin in a serum-free melanoblast/melanocyte-proliferation medium supplemented with dibutyryl adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (DBcAMP) and/or basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) supplemented to the medium from initiation of primary culture increased the proliferation of melanoblasts or melanocytes as well as the differentiation of melanocytes. Pure cultured primary melanoblasts or melanocytes were further cultured with the medium supplemented with LIF from 14 days (keratinocyte depletion). LIF stimulated the proliferation of melanoblasts or melanocytes as well as the differentiation of melanocytes in the absence of keratinocytes. Moreover, anti-LIF antibody supplemented to the medium from initiation of primary culture inhibited the proliferation of melanoblasts or melanocytes as well as the differentiation of melanocytes. These results suggest that LIF is one of the keratinocyte-derived factors involved in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of neonatal mouse epidermal melanocytes in culture in cooperation with cAMP elevator and bFGF.     

Neoplastic progression of rat tracheal epithelial cells is associated with a reduction in the number of growth factors required for clonal proliferation in culture

Summary Factors regulating the proliferation of normal, preneoplastic, and neoplastic rat tracheal epithelial (RTE) cells were investigated to identify changes taking place during the progression of RTE cells to neoplasia. Normal RTE cells exhibit clonal proliferation in a serum-free medium containing pituitary extract, serum albumin, cholera toxin, epidermal growth factor, hydrocortisone, and insulin. All combinations of these six factors were examined for their abilities to support clonal proliferation of normal, preneoplastic, and neoplastic RTE cells. In general, preneoplastic RTE cells required fewer factors for proliferation than normal RTE cells, and neoplastic cells required fewer factors than preneoplastic cells. A common pattern of reductions has been identified in the growth factors required for the clonal proliferation of preneoplastic vs. normal RTE cells and for neoplastic vs. preneoplastic and normal RTE cells. Normal RTE cells exhibit clonal proliferation in a serum-free medium supplemented with a minimum of six factors: bovine serum albumin, bovine pituitary extract, cholera toxin, epidermal growth factor, hydrocortisone, and insulin. Preneoplastic RTE cells exhibit clonal proliferation in a serum-free medium supplemented with four factors: bovine serum albumin, bovine pituitary extract, hydrocortisone, and insulin. Finally, neoplastic RTE cells exhibit clonal proliferation in a serum-free medium supplemented with two factors: bovine serum albumin and bovine pituitary extract. These results suggest that the progression of RTE cells to neoplasia is associated with a series of changes in regulatory pathways that control cell proliferation.     

Properties of chick embryo chondrocytes grown in serum-free medium

Chick embryo tibial chondrocyte growth and activities were compared in serum-free and serum-supplemented media. A basal salts medium containing equal volumes of Ham's F-12 and Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium was supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum or with a mixture of bovine insulin, transferrin, fibroblast growth factor, dexamethasone, a prostaglandin E1 supplement, and a liposome supplement. Chondrocytes grew at identical rates in both media. Insulin, liposomes, and fibroblast growth factor were required for optimum growth in the serum-free medium, but removal of transferrin, dexamethasone, or prostaglandin E1 had little effect on the growth rate. In the serum-supplemented medium, the chondrocytes synthesized Type II collagen, Mr = 59,000 collagen, and both the large, cartilage-specific and the small ubiquitous proteochondroitin SO4 species typically produced by cultured chondrocytes. In the serum-free medium there was a shift toward synthesis of Type I collagen and a loss of the capacity to synthesize Mr = 59,000 collagen and the cartilage-specific proteochondroitin SO4. The loss of capacity for cartilage-specific proteochondroitin SO4 synthesis began immediately after replacement of the serum with the mixture of defined growth factors and the rate of loss was retarded but not reversed when serum was added back in place of the growth factors. When the serum and the mixture of growth factors were added together to the basal medium at the time of cell plating, the chondrocytes grew rapidly and retained their normal phenotype observed in serum-supplemented cultures. Thus, the serum appears to contain factors which are required for retention of the chondrocyte phenotype in culture over and above those factors necessary for cell growth.     

Hepatocyte growth factor controls the proliferation of cultured epidermal melanoblasts and melanocytes from newborn mice

Mouse epidermal melanoblasts and melanocytes preferentially proliferated from disaggregated epidermal cell suspensions derived from newborn mouse skin in a serum-free melanocyte-proliferation medium (MDMD) and melanoblast-proliferation medium (MDMDF) supplemented with dibutyryl adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (DBcAMP) and/or basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Pure cultured primary melanoblasts and melanocytes were further cultured with MDMD/MDMDF supplemented with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) from 14 days (keratinocyte depletion). The HGF increased the number of melanoblasts and melanocytes, but not the percentage of differentiated melanocytes in the melanoblast-melanocyte population in the absence of keratinocytes. Flow cytometry analysis showed that melanoblasts and melanocytes in the S and/or G2/M phases of the cell cycle were increased by the treatment with HGF. Moreover, an anti-HGF antibody supplemented to MDMD/MDMDF from the initiation of the primary culture (in the presence of keratinocytes) inhibited the proliferation of melanoblasts and melanocytes, but not the differentiation of melanocytes. These results suggest that HGF is a keratinocyte-derived factor involved in regulating the proliferation of epidermal melanoblasts and melanocytes from newborn mice in cooperation with cAMP elevators and/or bFGF.     

Proliferation of epithelial cells derived from rat dorsolateral prostate in serum-free primary cell culture and their response to androgen

Summary Primary cultured epithelial cells derived from the rat dorsolateral prostate proliferated in serum-free nutrient medium WAJC 404 supplemented with mitogens: insulin (650 nM), cholera toxin (120 pM), epidermal growth factor (EGF) (2.5 nM), dexamethasone (300 nM), and bovine pituitary extract (25 μg/ml). The culture consisted of two types of epithelial cell colonies: one originated from single cells or small cell aggregates and the other was epithelial cell outgrowth from small tissue fragments attached to a substratum. There were differences in requirements for the mitogens between the two types of colonies. Requirements for cholera toxin, bovine pituitary extract, and dexamethasone were higher in the former type of colonies, and those for EGF were higher in the latter type of colonies. Proliferation of the epithelial cells in either type, of colony was suppressed more than 50% by 1 nM dihydrotestosterone. This suppressive effect was not mediated by stromal component in the tissue fragments, and was counteracted by cyproterone acetate, indicating specific and direct action of the androgen on prostate epithelial cells. The results suggest that there is discrete participation of polypeptide growth factors and androgen in proliferation and differentiation, respectively, of prostate epithelial cells in vivo.     

The influence of medium composition and matrix on long-term cultivation of primary porcine and human hepatocytes

The differentiated hepatocyte phenotype remains difficult to maintain in culture. The duration over which phenotypically stable hepatocytes can be cultured ranges from a couple of days to a few weeks. Shortcomings in medium formulation may be a factor in this lack of success. We have investigated effects of medium formulation on primary porcine and human hepatocyte cultures. We tested seven culture medium compositions (DMEM, ExCell 400, HepatoZYME-SFM, L-15 Leibovitz, SF-3, Waymouth, and Williams' E) and the effects of serum, fibronectin and biomatrix in a sandwich culture configuration. Albumin, urea, cholesterol, GOT, GPT, LDH and triglyceride concentrations were measured over 14 days. For both human and porcine cultures, the best results were obtained with SF-3 medium. Cells cultivated with Williams' E medium and FCS had good morphology and synthetic function during the first days of culture. However, continued addition of serum, was associated with a subsequent loss of differentiated phenotype. Addition of fibronectin was associated with improved function in cultures maintained in SF-3 medium whilst biomatrix had no effect. In contrast, addition of fibronectin did not influence cultures maintained in Williams' E medium, but cultures with biomatrix were associated with improved function at longer time points.     

Co-culture of fibroblasts and hepatic parenchymal cells induces metabolic changes and formation of a three-dimensional structure

Co-culturing of tendon fibroblasts and liver parenchymal cells in Williams' medium E supplemented with fetal bovine serum, hormones, and L-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate, a long acting vitamin C derivative, resulted in formation of three-dimensional structure. Both growth of fibroblasts and their production of collagen were inhibited, however production of albumin by the hepatocytes was much better preserved than when individual cells were cultured separately, indicating epithelial-mesenchymal interactions stimulate reorganization of the liver-like tissue from isolated cells.     

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor is a keratinocyte-derived factor involved in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of neonatal mouse epidermal melanocytes in culture

Mouse epidermal melanoblasts and melanocytes preferentially proliferated from disaggregated epidermal cell suspensions derived from newborn mouse skin in a serum-free melanocyte-proliferation medium (MDMD) and a melanoblast-proliferation medium (MDMDF) supplemented with dibutyryl adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (DBcAMP) and/or basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Pure cultured primary melanoblasts and melanocytes were further cultured with MDMD/MDMDF supplemented with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF) from 14 days (keratinocyte depletion). GMCSF stimulated the number of melanoblasts/melanocytes as well as the percentage of differentiated melanocytes in keratinocyte-depleted cultures. Flow cytometry analysis showed that melanoblasts and melanocytes in the S and G(2)/M phases of the cell cycle were increased by the treatment with GMCSF. Moreover, anti-GMCSF antibody added to MDMD/MDMDF from the initiation of the primary culture (in the presence of keratinocytes) inhibited the proliferation of melanoblasts/melanocytes as well as the differentiation of melanocytes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of culture media revealed that GMCSF was secreted from keratinocytes, but not from melanocytes. These results suggest that GMCSF is one of the keratinocyte-derived factors involved in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of neonatal mouse epidermal melanoblasts/melanocytes in culture in cooperation with cAMP elevator and bFGF.     

Serum-free culture of normal human melanocytes: growth kinetics and growth factor requirements

Normal human epidermal melanocytes were selectively propagated from mixed (keratinocyte-melanocyte) cultures and primary epidermal cell suspensions in serum-free medium, MCDB 153 containing insulin, bovine pituitary extract (BPE), phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), ethanolamine, phosphoethanolamine, and hydrocortisone. Neonatal foreskin melanocytes (NFMs) replicated more readily than adult melanocytes in culture. Early passage NFMs grown in serum-free medium exhibited a population generation time of 24-48 hours. NFMs assumed a less dendritic appearance and were less pigmented than adult melanocytes. PMA or other protein kinase C-activating phorbol esters significantly enhanced mitogenesis of NFMs; however, cAMP-elevating agents were not required for efficient replication of NFMs. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was a potent mitogen for NFMs and replaced the requirement for BPE in the culture medium. NFMs expressed a single class of specific, high-affinity receptors for bFGF, exhibiting a Kd = 3 x 10(-11) M and approximately 76,500 receptors/cell. Neither EGF nor TGF-alpha were mitogenic for NFMs, and TGF-beta reversibly inhibited NFM growth. Rapidly growing, early passage NFMs were shown to have cell cycle times of 19.5, 7.5, and 9 hours for G1, S, and G2/M phases of the cell cycle, respectively. Culture of NFMs to confluence or depletion of growth factors from the culture medium caused reversible, G1 phase-specific, cell cycle growth arrest. Senescence of NFMs was associated with irreversible growth arrest in the G1 phase after 40-45 population doublings in culture. Our data demonstrate that basal medium MCDB 153 can be supplemented with defined factors to cultivate selectively two major constituent cell types of the epidermis, the melanocyte and the keratinocyte.     

Improved maintenance of adult rat hepatocytes in a new serum-free medium in the presence or absence of barbiturates

Summary For serum-free primary culture of adult rat hepatocytes, a synthetic medium DM-160 and rat-tail collagen were selected for the basal medium and for the culture substratum, respectively. Barbiturates, such as phenobarbital and 1-ethyl-5-isobutylbarbiturate, efficiently supported survival of hepatocytes and maintained their morphologic features at lower concentrations under the serum-free conditions than under the serum-supplemented conditions. However, the hepatocyte survival rates under the serum-free conditions were lower than those under the serum-supplemented conditions in the presence or absence of barbiturates. Supplementation of the basal medium with a combination of five groups of factors (5Fs), such as eight amino acids (Ala, Arg, Gly, Ile, Met, Phe, Pro, and Trp), two unsaturated fatty acids (linoleate and oleate), a protease inhibitor (aprotinin), three vitamins (A, C, and E), and five trace elements (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Se), improved the hepatocyte survival under the serum-free conditions in the presence or absence of barbiturates. In other words, the serum could be completely substituted by the 5Fs. Hepatocyte cultures maintained in the 5Fs-suppelemented basal medium showed excellent induction of tyrosine aminotransferase activity in response to dexamethasone in the presence or absence of barbiturates. The efficiency of the 5Fs-supplemented basal medium for maintaining hepatocytes was not inferior to those of other media in common use with hepatocytes, such as Williams' medium E and Waymouth's medium MB-752/1. In conclusion, maintenance of functional hepatocytes in serum-free primary culture could be improved by use of the new medium preparation (the 5Fs-supplemented DM-160) in the presence of barbiturates. This work was supported by a grant no. 61771923 from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan.     

Glycogen synthesis in serum-free cultured hepatocytes in response to insulin and dexamethasone

Liver parenchymal cells cultured in serum-free medium may retain their ability to synthesize glycogen in response to insulin. Specific hormone requirements are needed by hepatocytes to retain the biochemical pattern of mature cells. Insulin supplementation of culture medium seems to be essential to maintain the glycogen synthesis rate of cultured hepatocytes. The continuous presence of dexamethasone amplified the insulin-induced glycogen synthesis. Cytophotometric analysis showed differences in the way that individual cells accumulate glycogen in response to insulin stimulus, which indicates that liver parenchymal cells in culture are functionally heterogeneous.     

Crude liver membrane fractions as substrate preserve liver-specific functions in long-term,serum-free rat hepatocyte cultures

Summary Over time, rat hepatocytes cultured on collagen lose the capacity to express liver-specific functions. The influence on this degradation process of an alternative substratum—crude membrane fractions prepared from the liver of the same rat strain—was investigated. Freshly isolated rat hepatocytes were cultured in serum-free Williams E medium supplemented with aprotinin, selenium, dexamethasone, and insulin in flasks coated with a mixture of rat liver crude membrane fractions:collagen type I (100:1). The cells adhered firmly, exhibiting minimal spreading and remaining grouped in columns or in cell islands, and retained their liver-specific functions for more than 1 wk. Hepatocytes secreted substantially higher amounts of albumin than cells cultured on collagen-coated dishes, and on Days 1 and 9 in culture the total P-450 content was 72 and 40%, respectively, of that of freshly isolated cells. On Day 6, the 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-de-ethylase and the aldrin epoxidase activities were still more than 50% that of freshly isolated hepatocytes. Exposure to phenobarbital on Days 3 to 6 increased the total cytochrome P-450 content twofold; exposure to 3-methylcholanthrene increased the activity of the corresponding cytochrome P-450 isoforms to 20 times that observed in untreated cultures and 6 times that observed in freshly isolated cells. Thus, given the ease with which they are prepared, the use of crude membrane fractions combined with culture medium supplemented with aprotinin and selenium can facilitate the preparation of reproducible cultures suitable for long-term in vitro pharmacotoxicologic studies using rat hepatocytes.     

Proto-oncogene expression in regenerating liver is simulated in cultures of primary adult rat hepatocytes

Proto-oncogene fos mRNA levels are rapidly and transiently elevated 12-fold in regenerating liver 10-60 min following partial hepatectomy. This response, and the induction of fos protein synthesis, has been simulated qualitatively and quantitatively in long term primary cultures of quiescent adult rat hepatocytes where proliferative transitions can be initiated directly in serum-free medium by known hepatocyte mitogens like epidermal growth factor. Expression of a second proto-oncogene, c-rasH, in proliferatively activated hepatocyte cultures between 6 and 24 h also simulates the delayed hepatic response that occurs in vivo following partial hepatectomy. These results suggest that sequential proto-oncogene expression during liver regeneration is caused directly by hepatocellular interactions with specific mitogens. In addition, a role for monovalent cations in the regulation of hepatocyte gene expression is implicated from findings that Na+ deprivation inhibits induction of fos expression in cultured hepatocytes by epidermal growth factor under chemically defined conditions.     

Effect of epidermal growth factor on the sheet formation of the human keratinocyte in cell culture

Epidermal growth factor is an important element in maintaining keratinocyte proliferation and maturation. To evaluate its effect on keratinocyte growth in vitro, human foreskins were cultured. The epidermal keratinocyte growth in culture was separated into two stages by a conditional medium: the proliferation stage, in which the cells were maintained in a monolayer; and the differentiation stage, in which the cells grew to stratification and keratinization. The keratinocytes were cultured in various concentrations of epidermal growth factor, and their morphology and growth behavior were closely observed. Our results demonstrated that cultured keratinocytes grew in a confluent layer under the influence of epidermal growth factor. In contrast, in a culture without epidermal growth factor, the proliferation rate of cultured keratinocytes slowed down and eventually the cells stopped growing. During serum stimulation, with or without additional exogenous epidermal growth factor, the cultured keratinocytes grew continuously to the normal terminal differentiation. Under this two-stage culture model, the cultured keratinocytes could grow into an intact sheet of graftable epidermis.     

Loss of growth hormone-dependent characteristics of rat hepatocytes in culture

Summary The liver of rodents is sexually differentiated, i.e. the female liver differs from the male liver. This differentiation is largely controlled by the pattern of growth hormone (GH) secretion. We have attempted to maintain GH-dependent differentiation of cultured rat hepatocytes. We examined the level of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity, which responds to GH and is higher in female than in male liver, and the estrogen receptor, which is dependent on GH but is present in equal amounts in males and females. ADH activity was maintained in cells from male rats, but fell by 40% in cells from females in medium supplemented with insulin and dexamethasone. The estrogen receptor content of female cells fell dramatically to undetectable levels within 2 d of culture. Extensive supplementation of the medium failed to prevent the decrease in ADH activity in female cells; similarly, the addition of female sex steroids; rat serum; pituitary extracts; rat, human, or bovine GH; or ovine prolactin failed to maintain the enzyme activity. Insulin, dexamethasone, thyroid hormone plus GH or prolactin, or the combination of all five hormones also failed to prevent the loss of estrogen receptors. Short-term cultures of rat hepatocytes, although retaining the liver-specific expression of ADH at the male level, lose GH-dependent expression of the estrogen receptor and stimulation of ADH activity. Supported by grants AA 00081 and AA 06434 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD.     

Mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into keratinocytes and express epidermal kallikreins: Towards an in vitro model of human epidermis

Epidermal differentiation is a complex process in which keratinocytes go through morphological and biochemical changes in approximately 15 to 30 days. Abnormal keratinocyte differentiation is involved in the pathophysiology of several skin diseases. In this scenario, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) emerge as a promising approach to study skin biology in both normal and pathological conditions. Herein, we have studied the differentiation of MSC from umbilical cord into keratinocytes. MSC were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) (proliferation medium) and, after characterization, differentiation was induced by culturing cells in a defined keratinocyte serum-free medium (KSFM) supplemented with epidermal growth factor (EGF) and calcium chloride ions. Cells cultivated in DMEM were used as control. Cultures were evaluated from day 1 to 23, based on the cell morphology, the expression of p63, involucrin and cytokeratins (KRTs) KRT5, KRT10 and KRT14, by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis or immunofluorescence, and by the detection of epidermal kallikreins activity. In cells grown in keratinocyte serum-free medium with EGF and 1.8 mM calcium, KRT5 and KRT14 expression was shown at the first day, followed by the expression of p63 at the seventh day. KRT10 expression was detected from day seventh while involucrin was observed after this period. Data showed higher kallikrein (KLK) activity in KSFM-cultured cells from day 11th in comparison to control. These data indicate that MSC differentiated into keratinocytes similarly to that occurs in the human epidermis. KLK activity detection appears to be a good methodology for the monitoring the differentiation of MSC into the keratinocyte lineage, providing useful tools for the better understanding of the skin biology.     

New primary culture systems to study the differentiation and proliferation of mouse fetal hepatoblasts

Hepatoblasts have the potential to differentiate into both hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells through a differentiation program that has not been fully elucidated. With the aim to better define the mechanism of differentiation of hepatoblasts, we isolated hepatoblasts and established new culture systems. We isolated hepatoblasts from E12.5 fetal mouse liver by using E-cadherin. The E-cadherin+ cells expressed alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and albumin (Alb) but not cytokeratin 19 (CK19). Transplantation of the E-cadherin+ cells into mice that had been subjected to liver injury or biliary epithelial injury led to differentiation of the cells into hepatocytes or biliary epithelial cells, respectively. In a low-cell-density culture system in the absence of additional growth factors, E-cadherin+ cells formed colonies of various sizes, largely comprising Alb-positive cells. Supplementation of the culture medium with hepatocyte growth factor and epidermal growth factor promoted proliferation of the cells. Thus the low-cell-density culture system should be useful to identify inductive factors that regulate the proliferation and differentiation of hepatoblasts. In a high-cell-density system in the presence of oncostatin M+dexamethasone, E14.5, but not E12.5, E-cadherin+ cells differentiated into mature hepatocytes, suggesting that unidentified factors are involved in hepatic maturation. Culture of E-cadherin+ cells derived from E12.5 or E14.5 liver under high-cell-density conditions should allow elucidation of the mechanism of hepatic differentiation in greater detail. These new culture systems should be of use to identify growth factors that induce hepatoblasts to proliferate or differentiate into hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells.