Studies on the expression of liver-specific functions of human fetal hepatocytes in primary culture.
Biochemical functions of human livers were studied using fetal hepatocytes in primary culture. Immunocytochemical staining showed that albumin was not expressed in any fetal hepatocytes, whereas alpha-fetoprotein was detected in almost all the cells. Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TO, EC 1.13.11.11.) activity was not induced in the presence of 10(-7) M dexamethasone and 10(-7) M glucagon, but the activity of tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT, EC 2.6.1.5.) was elevated about 35 fold under the same conditions. These results suggest that the TAT and alpha-fetoprotein genes are activated in human fetal liver at 14 to 20 weeks of gestation.
D000418:Albumins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005865:Gestational Age; D005934:Glucagon / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D014366:Tryptophan Oxygenase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014444:Tyrosine Transaminase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis
D000418:Albumins; D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005934:Glucagon; D014366:Tryptophan Oxygenase; D014444:Tyrosine Transaminase