title: Studies on the expression of liver-specific functions of human fetal hepatocytes in primary culture.
abstract: 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.
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005934:Glucagon; D014366:Tryptophan Oxygenase; D014444:Tyrosine Transaminase