Induction of Cytochrome P-450s and Expression of Liver-specific Genes in Rat Primary Hepatocytes Cultured on Different Extracellular Matrices

Freshly isolated hepatocytes were cultured on an EHS-gel prepared from EHS-tumor, poly-N-p-vinylbenzyl-d-lactonamide (PVLA), and type I collagen (TIC). Hepatocytes on EHS-gel showed a spherical shape and much more strongly maintained the inducible expression of cytochrome P-450 genes which were lost on PVLA and TIC. Further, the expression of liver-specific genes were maintained on EHS gel at the highest level, and then higher on PVLA than TIC.