title: Drug metabolising activity of freshly isolated human hepatocytes.
abstract: Hepatocytes have been isolated from samples of adult human liver by removal of extracellular calcium followed by perfusion with collagenase. The hepatocytes were isolated with a yield of up to 39 X 10(6) cells/g and with a viability of up to 74%. The cells were active in the oxidation of aldrin and 7-ethoxycoumarin. They also catalysed the conjugation of 7-hydroxycoumarin. Monooxygenase activity of the hepatocytes was linear for at least 60 min. Maintenance of the hepatocytes in suspension at 4 degrees C for 19 h resulted in a 15% loss in viability. This was accompanied by a 50% decrease in monooxygenase activity expressed per viable cell. It is concluded that human hepatocytes can be isolated in sufficient yield and with satisfactory viability for use in a range of studies on drug metabolism and toxicity.
mesh_terms: D015660:7-Alkoxycoumarin O-Dealkylase; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000452:Aldrin / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival; D003374:Coumarins / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003374:Coumarins; D003470:Culture Media; D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; C017299:7-ethoxycoumarin; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; C019647:aldrin epoxidase; D010105:Oxygenases; D015660:7-Alkoxycoumarin O-Dealkylase; D000452:Aldrin