• Toxicological Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.167-175
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• 1993

Protective effects of dithiol malonate derivatives (DMDs), YH-100, YH-150 and YH-439 on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity were investigated in primary rat hepatocytes culture. Treatment of DMDs to hepatocytes culture did not affect total cytochrome P-450 content and ECOD and AHH activities. Protein and RNA synthesis was also similar to control. Meanwhile, DMDs significantly decreased LDH release and in vitro lipid peroxidation induced by $CCI_4$. Accumulation of cellular triglyceride and decreased secretion of VLDL from liver cells by $CCI_4$ treatment were also significantly protected.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.56-61
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• 2008

The hepatoprotective effects of the water extracts of Hovenia dulcis Thunb (HD) were investigated in vitro. Following the induction of hepatotoxicity by ethanol in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes, the protective effects of four different water extracts of HD were determined through serial dose-response and time-dependent studies. The individual extracts used in these studies were prepared from fruits, seeds, leaves and tubes. Treatment of hepatocyte cultures with the water extracts of HD provided a significant protection from the increased lactate dehydrogenase activity induced by ethanol. Particularly, the fruits extract was the most effective against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity in the primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. The results demonstrated that the extracts might have the protective effect against ethanol-induced toxicity in hepatocyte cultures.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.186-191
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• 2001

Vitellogenin (VTG) and VTG mRNA induction by $estradiol-17\beta\;(E_2)$ were examined in the primary cultures of hepatocyte in the rainbow trout. Hepatocytes were precultured for 2 days, then $E_2$ was added and cultured for another 5 days. Media and hepatocytes were then analyzed by electrophoresis and Northern blotting for VTG and VTG mRNA, respectively. The hepatocytes were formed a few aggregates within 5 days without further spreading to a monolayer. Cell viability and high DNA content were maintained during the incubation. The hepatocyte culture with E2 induced a weak VTG band at a molecular weight of 175kDa on Day 2 after $E_2$ addition. The relative amount of VTG was expressed in percentage of total protein concentrations. VTG was gradually increased as $1.9\%$ on Day 2, $6.3\%$ on Day 4 and $7.3\%$ on Day 5. VTG mRNA band was detected at about 6.6 kb in the culture with $E_2$ at day 1 of culture. The level of VTG mRNA expression linearly increased with time until Day 5 (r=0.97).

• 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.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.264-275
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• 2020

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a significant role in intracellular signaling and regulation, particularly when they are maintained at physiologic levels. However, excess ROS can cause cell damage and induce cell death. We recently reported that eIF2α phosphorylation protects hepatocytes from oxidative stress and liver fibrosis induced by fructose metabolism. Here, we found that hepatocyte-specific eIF2α phosphorylation-deficient mice have significantly reduced expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and altered EGFR-mediated signaling pathways. EGFR-mediated signaling pathways are important for cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival in many tissues and cell types. Therefore, we studied whether the reduced amount of EGFR is responsible for the eIF2α phosphorylation-deficient hepatocytes' vulnerability to oxidative stress. ROS such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxides induce both EGFR tyrosine phosphorylation and eIF2α phosphorylation. eIF2α phosphorylation-deficient primary hepatocytes, or EGFR knockdown cells, have decreased ROS scavenging ability compared to normal cells. Therefore, these cells are particularly susceptible to oxidative stress. However, overexpression of EGFR in these eIF2α phosphorylation-deficient primary hepatocytes increased ROS scavenging ability and alleviated ROS-mediated cell death. Therefore, we hypothesize that the reduced EGFR level in eIF2α phosphorylation-deficient hepatocytes is one of critical factors responsible for their susceptibility to oxidative stress.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.207-212
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• 2002

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) is the enzyme that controls no devo fatty acid biogynthesis, and this enzyme catalyzes the carboxylation pathway of acetyl-CoA to malonyl-CoA. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase gene expression was regulated by nutritional and hormonal status. The present study was performed to identify the regulation mechanism of ACC gene promoter I. The fragments of ACC promoter I -1.2-kb region wert recombined to pGL3-Basic vector with luciferase as a reporter gene. The primary hepatocytes from the rat were used to investigate the hormonal regulation of ACC promoter I activity. ACC PI (-1.2)/Luc plasmid was trtransferred into primary hepatocytes using lipofectin. Activity of luciferase was increased two-fold by 10-9M, three-fold by 10-8M, 10-6M, 3.5-fold by 10-6M, and 4.5-fold by 10-7M insulin treatment, respectively. In the presence of dexamethasone (1 $\mu$M), the effects of insulin increased about 1.5-fold, showing the additional effects of dexamethasone. Moreover, the activity of luciferase increased with insulin+dexamethasone, insulin+T3, dexamethasone+T3, and dexamethasone+insulin+T3 treatment approximately 6-, 4-, 6.5-, and 10-fold, respectively. Therefore it can be postulated that 1) these hormones coordinately regulate acetyl-CoA caroxylase gene expression via regulation of promoter activity, 2) the -1.2-kb region of ACC promoter I may have the response element sequences for insulin, dexamethasone, and T3.

• 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.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.474-478
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• 1999

Modulation of unscheduled DNA synthesis by dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) after exposure to various chemical carcinogens was investigated in the primary rat hepatocytes. Unscheduled DNA synthesis was induced by treatment of such direct acting carcinogens as methly methanesulfonate (MMS) and ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) or procarcinogens including benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and 7, 12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA). Unscheduled DNA synthesis was determined by measuring [methyl-3H]thymidine radioactivity incorporated into nuclear DNA of hepatocytes treated with carcinogens in the presence or absence of DHEA. Hydroxyurea $(5{\times}10^{-3} M)$was added to growth medium to selectively suppress normal replication. DHEA at concentrations ranging from $(1{\times}10^{-6} M)$ to$(5{\times}10^{-4} M)$ did not significantly inhibit unscheduled DNA synthesis induced by either MMS $(1{\times}10^{-4} M)$ or EMS $(1{\times}10^{-2} M)$. In contrast, DHEA-significantly inhibited unscheduled DNA synthesis induced by BaP $(6.5{\times}10^{-5} M)$ and DMBA.$(2{\times}10^{-5} M)$. DHEA-induced hepatotoxicity in rats was examined using lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release as an indicator of cytotoxicity. DHEA exhibit no significant increase in LDH release compared with the control at 18 h. These data suggest that nontoxic concentration of DHEA does not affect the DNA excision repair process, but it probably influence the enzymatic system responsible for the metabolic activation of procarcinogens and thereby decreases the amount of the effective DNA adducts formed by the ultimate reactive carcinogenic species.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 1991

The release of hepatic triglyceride lipase from cultured rat hepatocytes and its hormonal regulation were studied. The activity of lipase released into the medium in the presence of heparin was increasing during 24 hours on the 2nd of culture while this was 10% in the absence of heparin as compared with the lipase activity in the presense of heparin. When hepatocytes were cultured with anti-hepatic triglyceride lipase lgG the lipase activity was supp-ressed by 92% The results suggest that the enzyme relaeased into culture medium is identical to hepatic triglyceride lipase which can be released only in the presence of heparin the model of release being similar to that of lipoprotein lipase from adipocytes. The addition of monensin to the medium resulted in The inhibition of lipase secretion by 61% Insulin enhanced lipase activity only 20% whereas dexamethasone suppressed the activity by 44% These data inidica-ted that hepatic triglyceride lipase is secreted and released from hepatocytes in the presence of heparin and its secretion is regulated by hormones.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.365-369
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• 1995

The acute cytotoxicities of chloroquine sulfate, propranolol, ascorbic acid, acetylsalicylic acid and acrylamide on cultured adult rat hepatocytes were evaluated by the use of LDH leakage and NR uptake test. On the basis of $IC_{50}$ values, the rank order of cytotoxicities of these drugs in both tests was chloroquine sulfate > propranolol > acetylsalicylic acid > ascorbic acid. The $IC_{50}$ of LDH test was very similar to that of NR uptake test. Thus, we concluded that both tests are reliable and sensitive methods in detecting toxicity in adult cultured rat hepatocytes.